A shooting and subsequent fire broke out outside the Serbian parliament in central Belgrade on October 22, injuring one person and prompting President Aleksandar Vucic to label the incident a “terrorist attack”.

The incident occurred amid prolonged unrest and social polarisation in Serbia, following nearly a year of student-led protests sparked by a deadly train station collapse in Novi Sad in November 2024.

According to Serbian authorities, a 70-year-old man opened fire on a tent settlement of pro-government supporters — known as "Ćaciland" — located in front of the National Assembly building. The gunman shot a 57-year-old man in the leg before reportedly firing at a gas canister, triggering a blaze that engulfed one of the tents.

Police responded swiftly, detaining the suspect at the scene. Health officials said the injured man was transported to the Emergency Centre in critical condition and is undergoing surgery.

Vucic later revealed that the attacker is a retired employee of the former State Security Service (DB), has held a firearms permit since 1993 and has been receiving a state pension since 2009.

In a nationally televised address, Vucic described the incident as “a terrorist act” and accused opposition forces of fostering a climate of division and hatred. “This could have happened in any Serbian city,” he said.

Footage from the scene, released at the press conference, shows the suspect admitting that he targeted the encampment because the tents “annoyed him” and that he hoped the police would kill him. The president suggested the attacker may have been attempting to feign mental instability. “He knew exactly what he was doing,” Vucic said.

Government officials, including First Deputy Prime Minister Sinisa Mali and Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic, condemned the attack and linked it to the opposition protest movement. Mali described the assailant as a “blockader” — a term associated with anti-government demonstrators.

“This is a direct consequence of the hatred that anti-state forces have been spreading systematically for the past year,” Gasic said.

As investigators continue to gather details, Vucic claimed that more revelations would follow: “There will be interesting things to uncover during the investigation,” he said, adding that authorities are reviewing potential connections to broader "destabilisation" efforts.