Montenegro manhunt ends with Russian triple-murder suspect dead

In the early hours of Tuesday, a police manhunt for an armed Russian suspect in Montenegro concluded with a tragic turn. The 30-year-old suspect, wanted for the murders of three individuals, ended his own life after a fierce exchange of gunfire with law enforcement, according to authorities.

The victim of the shooting initially numbered three employees of a shooting range in the town of Danilovgrad, located near Montenegro's capital, Podgorica. The killings occurred in a location that left the suspect over 120 kilometres (75 miles) away from the crime scene, in the woods above the coastal tourist town of Herceg Novi, where he was eventually located after an hours-long pursuit involving special units and a helicopter.

After finding himself surrounded and with no way out, the suspect allegedly opened fire on the police officers before fatally shooting himself, as reported by the police statement. The victims were identified as two men from Podgorica, aged 20 and 24, and a 67-year-old man from Danilovgrad. The suspect had allegedly fled the crime scene in the vehicle of one of the victims.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing, with the Higher State Prosecutor’s Office in Podgorica tasked with establishing all the circumstances surrounding the killings, including their cause and motive. Montenegrin Prime Minister Milojko Spajic expressed condolences to the victims' families and announced two days of national mourning, beginning from Tuesday.