Neighbor killed with automatic rifle in Banovici

A 64-year-old man is suspected of shooting dead his neighbor and wounding the man’s wife with an automatic rifle on Sunday, June 7, in the Cifluk settlement in the municipality of Banovici, Tuzla Canton. The shooting was reported to the Zivinice police station at around 10:40 a.m.

According to unofficial sources, the gunfire was preceded by a dispute between the neighbors. The suspect, identified only by the initials H. T. (64), reportedly also fired at the victim’s brother but missed him. After police arrived, he was detained and taken to the Banovici police station.

How the intervention unfolded

Police patrols were dispatched to the scene, and a rapid response team from the Special Support Police Unit took part in the operation. Its members subdued the suspect and then located and secured an automatic rifle believed to have been used in the attack.

A statement from the Interior Ministry of Tuzla Canton said that one man had been killed, while one woman had been injured. The body of a man showing no signs of life was found at the scene, while the wounded woman was taken to the University Clinical Center in Tuzla.

According to media reports, the man who died was a neighbor identified by the initials N. C. (54), while his wife, A. C. (47), was wounded in the abdomen and lower leg. The severity of her injuries and her treatment will become clearer after medical examination.

The on-site investigation is being led by the Criminal Police Department and overseen by the duty cantonal prosecutor of Tuzla Canton. Until the work at the scene is complete, police usually withhold full details so as not to compromise the case.

What happens after an incident like this?

Once detained, the suspect is questioned in the presence of a defense lawyer, and the competent prosecutor’s office decides whether to request custody. In the meantime, forensic teams document the scene, establish the exact sequence of the shooting, and secure the weapon as key evidence.

Statement from the Tuzla Canton Interior Ministry: one man was killed, while one woman was injured.

The motive behind the dispute and the precise circumstances still have to be established by the investigation. Early reports from a crime scene are typically incomplete, so the relationship between those involved and the trigger for the shooting remain matters for the authorities to examine.

The Cifluk settlement lies in a quiet part of the Banovici municipality, where incidents involving firearms are rare, which is why the event drew significant attention from residents. The possession of an automatic rifle also raises questions about the origin and legality of the weapon, which will likewise be checked.

Details of what preceded the shooting will become known only once the authorities finish their work on the ground. How important do you think it is, after incidents like this, to examine how an illegal weapon ended up in private hands in the first place?