Solved case · 2007
Also known as Jabukovac Masakr
Reliefkarte SerbienCredit: TschubbyCC BY-SA 3.0SourceThe short answer
On 27 July 2007, Nikola Radosavljević, later found not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness, killed nine neighbours and wounded five more in the village of Jabukovac, Serbia, following a domestic assault on his wife and a failed suicide attempt.
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Suggest coverage for Jabukovac killingsOn 27 July 2007, in the Serbian village of Jabukovac, Nikola Radosavljević, later found not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness, killed nine of his neighbours and wounded five others in a shooting spree. The events began after Radosavljević had lunch with his wife, Jelena, who had just returned from Vienna. Around 17:00, an argument between them escalated when he struck her, breaking her nose and jaw, and left her on the floor. He then attempted suicide by jumping into a well near his house, but a neighbour heard him and pulled him out. Radosavljević then retrieved a shotgun belonging to his father, threatened the neighbour, and left his yard armed at around 17:30.
Over the following period, Radosavljević moved through the village shooting residents. His first victims were a married couple, Branislav Borongić (57) and Draginja Borongić (55), whom he shot in their yard. He then killed Veljko Đorđević (58), his son Dragan Đorđević (22), and Veljko's sister-in-law Marina Barbucić (78) through a hole in a fence. He asked an elderly woman he encountered whether she practiced Vlach magic, and let her go after she denied it. He seriously injured his cousin, Pera Vujić, who survived, then shot and killed fifteen-year-old Srđan Badžikić in his yard; Srđan's father, Siniša Badžikić (36), was shot in the back while trying to shield his son and Srđan died in his arms. Jovanka Badejević (70) was shot but survived. Radosavljević then killed Branislav Badejević (31), and while heading toward his sister-in-law's house, injured Vanuca Badarević (72), who survived by hiding, and fatally shot her neighbour Persa "Jelica" Banković (37). His final victim was his sister-in-law, Anika Čogić (62), whom he blamed for cursing him through Vlach magic and shot in the chest.
After the killings, Radosavljević fled to the local cemetery and attempted suicide again by shooting himself in the stomach. He was found by police near his parents' grave on 28 July at around 01:30, arrested, and taken for medical treatment, first in Negotin and then in Niš.
He believed he was under a curse placed by his sister-in-law and her mother, and had consulted a local sorcerer two days before the killings. Following the massacre, medical experts concluded he could not understand the significance of his actions or control them at the time of the crime. He was not convicted but was committed to a psychiatric facility for treatment, and as of 2021 remained admitted to a specialized psychiatric hospital near Niš.
Radosavljević attacked several people on a bus trip from Austria to Serbia; he was subsequently admitted to the Laza Lazarević Institute for Neuropsychiatric Diseases in Belgrade.
Radosavljević, later found not criminally responsible by reason of mental illness, assaulted his wife, attempted suicide by jumping into a well, then armed himself with a shotgun and began shooting neighbours in Jabukovac, killing nine and wounding five.
Police located Radosavljević near his parents' grave at approximately 01:30 after he attempted suicide again; he was arrested and taken for medical treatment in Negotin and later Niš.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Killed, aged 62, sister-in-law of the perpetrator; final victim of the massacre.[3]
Killed, aged 31.[3]
Killed, aged 57, shot in his yard.[3]
Killed, aged 22, son of Veljko Đorđević.[3]
Killed, aged 55, shot in the back while trying to flee.[3]
Shot, aged 70; survived the massacre.[3]
Killed, aged 78, sister-in-law of Veljko Đorđević.[3]
Severely injured, cousin of the perpetrator; survived.[3]
Killed, aged 37, shot while washing clothes outside.[3]
Shot in the back, aged 36, while trying to protect his son; survived.[3]
Killed, aged 15, shot in his yard; died in his father's arms.[3]
Shot and injured, aged 72; survived by hiding.[3]
Killed, aged 58, shot through a hole in a fence.[3]
Perpetrator found not criminally responsible due to mental illness (acute paranoid personality disorder); not convicted but committed to psychiatric treatment.[3]
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
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