Bio

Aco Martinović (Montenegrin: Ацо Мартиновић) was born in 1979. He was Montenegrin.

Records show he had been detained in the past for possession of illegal firearms and for domestic violence. He received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behaviour.

He was 45 years old in January 2025.

Murder Story

On 1 January 2025, a man killed thirteen people and wounded three others during five separate shootings in Velestovo, Bajice, and Cetinje, Montenegro, before killing himself later that day. It was the deadliest mass shooting in the country's history, and the second mass shooting in Cetinje after the 2022 Cetinje shooting.

At around 17:30 CET on 1 January, a brawl erupted inside a bar in Cetinje. After the fight, 45-year-old Aco Martinović left the scene, went home to get his gun, and returned to the restaurant. He opened fire, killing four men and seriously wounding four others in Kafić Velestovo. He then moved to another location and killed four more people. He escaped again and moved to two more locations, where he killed two children and two adults. Some of the dead included the owner of the bar and his two children, who were aged 8 and 13.

Authorities blocked roads from Cetinje and deployed special forces to search for the suspect. Several of the dead were later confirmed to have been killed in the village of Bajice. After being surrounded by police, the suspect shot himself in the head near his home in the Cetinje suburb of Humci. He died while being transported to a hospital on the morning of 2 January. Several victims were taken to a hospital in Podgorica, with four in critical condition.

Martinović had been detained in the past for possession of illegal firearms and for domestic violence. He had received a suspended sentence in 2005 for violent behaviour. He was described as having drunk alcohol all day before the shooting.

Police recovered a 9 mm gun, 37 casings, and 80 additional rounds of ammunition from the gunman at the scene.

The perpetrator initially killed twelve people, and four others had life-threatening injuries. The victims killed included two boys aged 8 and 13, seven men, and three women. Among the victims were two relatives of singer Darko Martinović, the bar owner's nephews, family members of the perpetrator including his sister, and other people he knew. On 9 January, an injured victim died from their injuries, raising the death toll to thirteen.

President Jakov Milatović said he was shocked and stunned, and Prime Minister Milojko Spajić visited the hospital where some victims were being treated. The prime minister announced three days of national mourning and the cancellation of scheduled New Year celebrations. The government said it would consider tightening regulations on the ownership of firearms. Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović said the shooting was a "consequence of disturbed interpersonal relations."

On 3 January, the National Security Council announced new gun safety measures that include new security and psychological checks for registered gun owners and harsh punishment for illegal weapons holders at the end of a two-month amnesty to surrender their firearms. That same day, about 200 people protested outside government headquarters in Podgorica demanding the resignation of top security officials over the shooting. Another demonstration on 5 January demanded the resignations of Interior Minister Danilo Šaranović and Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defence Aleksa Bečić.