A 44-year-old woman was shot dead on Friday in what police described as an ambush outside her family home in the southern Serbian city of Niš, with a suspect arrested several hours later, authorities said.
The victim, identified by police as Aleksandra Š., was killed near the corner of Stanoja Glavaša and Babički Odred streets in the Palilula neighbourhood. Police said the suspect, identified by his initials D.G., was detained following a large-scale manhunt.
According to preliminary findings, the woman arrived in the street by car when the suspect approached the vehicle and opened fire with a handgun. Investigators believe she was hit multiple times while inside the car and was shot again as she attempted to flee toward the house.
Security camera footage from nearby buildings is being reviewed and is believed to have captured the shooting, police sources said. Witnesses reported hearing several gunshots in the early morning hours.
One neighbour told local media he saw a man holding a gun near the wounded woman before fleeing the scene. Police have not commented on witness statements.
Authorities launched operation “Vihor” shortly after the shooting, sealing off key roads and exits from the city while forensic teams and prosecutors from the Higher Public Prosecutor’s Office in Niš examined the scene.
Police said the suspect was arrested later in the day and that investigators are examining whether he acted alone or had accomplices. The motive for the killing has not yet been established.
Local residents said the victim lived with her mother and children. She was a former handball player, according to people familiar with the family. Serbian media reported that the suspect was known to the victim, but police have not confirmed the nature of their relationship.
The woman’s body was transported to the Institute of Forensic Medicine for an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.
Serbia has seen a series of violent incidents in recent years, prompting authorities to step up policing efforts and tighten controls on illegal firearms.