Bio

Dragoslav Petkovic was born in 1985 in Bosnia-Herzegovina. He grew up in a small town called Vlasenica, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Sarajevo. Vlasenica is a town that faced many challenges, especially after the war from 1992 to 1995. It is known for being impoverished, and the aftermath of the war left residents with easy access to weapons.

Growing up, Dragoslav was described as a quiet and sensitive boy. He attended high school in Vlasenica and was in the 11th grade at the time of the tragic event. He had a close group of friends and shared interests like playing basketball. In the days leading up to the incident, he was reported to have expressed concerns about his academic performance, particularly regarding his history class and his relationship with his teacher.

His best friend, Ognjen Markovic, remembered having a conversation with Dragoslav just a day before the incident. During their talk, Dragoslav mentioned that he felt his history teacher, Stanimir Reljic, disliked him. He worried that the teacher might not give him a passing grade.

At school, Dragoslav was seen as an average student, and teachers did not perceive him as someone who would commit violence. However, the atmosphere in the school and the pressures of academic performance weighed heavily on him.

On April 29, 2002, shortly after noon, Dragoslav took a handgun from his father's possession and carried out a school shooting. He was only 17 years old at the time.

Murder Story

On April 29, 2002, Dragoslav Petkovic, a 17-year-old student, entered his high school in Vlasenica, Bosnia-Herzegovina, armed with a 7.65-millimeter handgun. Shortly after noon, he approached his history teacher, Stanimir Reljic, who was outside the school. Without warning, Dragoslav shot Reljic in the head, killing him.

After this, Dragoslav went into a classroom where another teacher, Saveta Mojsilovic, was present. He called out to her and shot her in the neck, causing injuries that were reported to be not life-threatening. Witnesses say that he then raised the gun to his own head and shot himself in front of about 30 startled students.

The incident shocked the community and was noted as the first school shooting in Bosnia. Police later discovered a suicide note that Dragoslav had written, which included his wishes about burial but did not clarify his motives for the shooting.

Mixed reactions came from those who knew him, with many describing Dragoslav as a quiet and sensitive young man. However, the day before the tragedy, he had expressed concerns to his best friend about his grades and feeling disliked by his history teacher. Following the shooting, authorities began an investigation into the events that led to this tragedy.