Ugljare after shooting: Locals worried about safety but determined to stay

The parents of the children who were in the schoolyard in Ugljare last night, when unknown persons fired a firearm, say that the children are very upset and scared. The families were visited today by the mayor of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, who condemned the attack and called on the locals for restraint and unity.

The mother of one of the boys who was shot last night, Salvete Keci, says that they are very upset, but that they will continue to send their children to school.

"One of the neighbors reported the incident to the police. My son is sleeping now, he is upset. I will allow him to continue going to school, we are concerned about his safety," Kecic said.

The mother of the other boy, Dzemala Kurtic, was also visibly disturbed by the event.

"The children were scared when they came home, they said they had heard gunshots and had seen a car. They were scared, but they didn't see license plates, they saw that two people were in the car," Kurtic explains.

The representative of the village of Ugljare, Lazar Galic, said that last night's incident had not been the first and reminded him of the writing of "KLA" graffiti on the wall of the school.

"There have been provocations before. I appeal to the parents to remain calm and composed, and the law enforcement agencies will do their job and help us," Galic said briefly.

The mayor of Gracanica, Ljiljana Subaric, confirmed, after visiting the families of children who were on the school playground when unknown persons fired firearms, that the children were scared, as were the residents of Ugljare, but also all the residents of the municipality of Gracanica. She added that what had happened last night in Ugljare could happen anywhere in the Gracanica municipality tomorrow, which further upset the citizens.

"It's no coincidence that this happens in front of the school. I think that children should have freedom of movement, to be able to play freely in their schoolyard. I don't see what's controversial about children, like everywhere in the world, walking through their village in the evening, and that they be safe at the same time. I condemn this kind of event, I ask the investigating authorities and the police to start an investigation as soon as possible and that the perpetrators are found and punished. At the same time, I appeal to the peace and restraint of my fellow citizens, as well as to the international community to react strongly, for this not to happen again. Fortunately, there were no victims in this event, but it does not mean that there won't be a tragic outcome in the next one," Subaric said.

During her visit to Ugljare, Subaric attended a meeting of the Council of Parents, who had requested, as she said, the constant presence of police patrols, and that every school had a police officer, following the example of schools in Serbia.