Bio

Vučko Borilović was born on 21 November 1988 in Cetinje, Montenegro. He finished elementary school in his hometown.

He completed high school in Belgrade, Serbia. After school, he worked in different jobs.

For five years up to his death, he worked in the Lovćen National Park. He had also been the head of an environmental hygiene service.

Borilović was a member of the local council of the Social Democrats political party. He was married and had three children.

He was a recreational hunter and held a gun licence for a hunting carbine. He had received treatment at the psychiatric hospital in Kotor and was scheduled for a physical examination there on the day of the later events. He had no criminal record before that time.

Murder Story

On 12 August 2022, a spree shooting took place in Cetinje, Montenegro. Ten people were killed, including two children, and six others were wounded. The gunman, identified as 33-year-old Vučko Borilović, was shot and killed after a gun battle with police.

At about 3:30 p.m., Borilović entered his home in the Medovina neighbourhood. He argued with the family that were sub-tenants. He fatally shot three family members, including two children, with a hunting carbine. He then called the victims' father to tell him that he had killed his wife and children.

The police on-call service was informed of gunfire. Borilović went outside and shot civilians on the street. He entered a neighbouring house and killed two senior citizens and injured their 32-year-old grandson. At the threshold of that house he killed the senior citizens' son. He also killed his own uncle and three more neighbours.

When police officers arrived, Borilović refused to surrender and fired at them, injuring one officer. He fired at an ambulance to prevent staff from treating victims. At around 3:50 p.m., he stopped shooting and took a phone call, saying he "probably won't survive." He then ran toward the Orlov krš mountain and police began shooting at him. Police fired around twenty bullets, and the autopsy report said he was hit by at least five.

Eleven people died during the event, including the perpetrator. Two children and eight other civilians were among the ten victims. Six people were wounded. Two wounded were treated in a Cetinje hospital. Four were sent to the Podgorica Clinical Centre. Three patients had emergency surgery and were later in intensive care: one with a head injury, one with a liver injury, and one with head and neck injuries plus an open fracture of the upper right arm. As of 15 August, one of the wounded remained in intensive care with life-threatening wounds.

Authorities did not disclose a motive for the shooting. A cousin said unpaid rent might have played a role, but investigators did not confirm this. A local man, Nenad Kaluđerović, was initially believed by some to have shot Borilović during the shootout. It was unclear at first whose bullet killed Borilović. Kaluđerović later gave a statement to the High State Prosecutor's Office, and police confiscated his gun. It was later confirmed that Borilović was killed by police.

On 15 August, the interior minister said a special commission would investigate the actions of the Cetinje Police during the shooting. During a search of Borilović's house, police found 4,200 euros and eight hunting rifle bullets.

A day of mourning was declared and several sporting events were cancelled. On 14 August, a commemorative session was held at the Cetinje Royal Palace. All ten victims were buried in Cetinje on the same day. Citizens gathered at the Main Town Square and later at Medovina to pay their respects. National and foreign leaders expressed condolences. The prime minister declared a three-day mourning period.