Bio

Antun Mataić, sometimes written as Antun Matajić, lived in the village of Završje. He lost his family during the Croatian War of Independence. He had said that his life had no meaning and that he would spend all his money to kill himself. He was a frequent visitor of the Trenk café.

Murder Story

The Podvinje cafe shooting was an act of mass murder that occurred in the village of Podvinje, Slavonski Brod, Brod-Posavina County, Croatia on April 14, 1998. At about 10 p.m., 50-year-old Antun Mataić killed seven people and wounded another.

On April 13, 1998, at 7 p.m., Antun Mataić and his friend went to the Trenk cafe in Podvinje, stayed for a short time, drank and left. Around 10 p.m. he returned to the cafe by himself. In the cafe were nine guests, a waitress and the owner. After paying for a cognac, he drank it and left the cafe. He went to his car which was parked in front of the bar and then returned to the cafe with an automatic rifle which he aimed at the guests. One of the guests told him, "Tunja, it was wrong," and he replied, "It would not be good." He started firing and the guests fell to the ground. He then fired one shot from a pistol at each victim lying on the ground. The owner of the bar and one of the guests managed to get down in time and escape. After the shooting, he got in his car and drove west. On the way he stopped at a cafe, ordered cognac and said, "I had just killed eight people." He later went to a shooting range near lake Petnja, where he blew his car up and shot himself shortly thereafter.

Antun Mataić (also reported as Antun Matajić), age 50, lived in Završje. He had lost his family during the Croatian War of Independence. He had said his life had no meaning and that he would spend all his money to kill himself. He was a frequent visitor of the Trenk café.