Six women and a child among those killed after 60-year-old man opened fire in village near Belgrade

This article is more than 7 years old

This article is more than 7 years old

Thirteen people, including six women and a child, have been shot dead after a 60-year-old man went on a shooting rampage in a village near Belgrade before trying to kill himself and his wife.

The man, identified only as Ljubisa B, used a handgun in the rampage, Belgrade emergency hospital spokeswoman Nada Macura said.

Villagers told Serbian reporters the man first killed his son before leaving the house and shooting his neighbours, some of whom were still asleep.

Serbian police chief, Milorad Veljovic, said 12 people were killed on the spot, while one person died in a Belgrade hospital. He said the motive for the killings was not clear.

Although such random shootings are rare in Serbia, weapons are readily available mostly from the war in the Balkans in the 1990s and there is a tradition of possessing firearms. Initial reports said the alleged killer had a licence for the handgun he used in the shootings.

Macura said the man tried to kill himself and his wife after the shootings. Both were severely injured. Another person was also injured.

The killings happened between 5am and 5.30am in Velika Ivanca, 30 miles south-east of Belgrade.

Macura said the alleged killer apparently had no history of mental illness.

Police blocked off the village while they investigated.