Milosh Vucevic, head of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), issued a public statement following a violent incident in Vrnjacka Banja where a man, identified as Ivan Mladenovic, opened fire with the intent to harm members of the ruling party, later also engaging police officers.
“This was far from a random event—it stands out as the most dangerous and extreme case so far,” Vucevic said. “It’s as if it had been anticipated for some time, almost like certain groups were building a narrative to excuse such violence, suggesting it would be justified because the victims supposedly represent some form of ‘ultimate evil.’”
According to Vucevic, the attacker had participated in numerous opposition demonstrations and frequently posted symbols and slogans tied to anti-government protests, including images of bloody hands and photos alongside known opposition activists.
“Thankfully, no one from SNS was killed, and none of the officers were fatally wounded. But I have no doubt that his goal was to kill someone connected to our party. He even demanded to eliminate members of SNS,” he explained.
The police intervened and arrested the shooter before further harm could be done.
Vucevic also sharply criticized what he described as “strategic silence” from certain media outlets and opposition figures. “Their refusal to speak out is alarming. In fact, I believe some of them may even try to rationalize this act of violence. We cannot allow such behavior to become accepted or normalized.”
