A SEVEN-year-old girl was killed and seven others were injured after a teenager went on a bloody knife rampage at an elementary school in Croatia.
The horrific attack took place on Friday just before 10 a.m. in the otherwise peaceful Zagreb neighborhood of Prečko.
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A teenager went on a bloody rampage with a knife at an elementary school in CroatiaCredit: Reuters
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Terrifying footage shows children between the ages of five and 11 running away from the school buildingCredit: HRT Radio Sljeme
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Forensic officers were seen at the scene after a seven-year-old girl was killedCredit: Reuters
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A heartbreaking video released by Croatian media shows children between the ages of five and 11 running away from the school building.
Parents, teachers and children were plunged into a terrible ordeal when a 19-year-old assailant broke into the Prečko Elementary School, leaving behind blood and destruction.
Witnesses reported the gunman entered the school and targeted his young victims one by one in a chillingly methodical rampage.
The state-run HRT television announced that the depraved killer entered the first classroom he found and attacked the children.
Meanwhile, distraught parents gathered anxiously outside the school gates to see if their children were safe.
One father, visibly shaken, recounts the chaos: “Everything was chaotic, the police were at the school, the perpetrator ran from the school to the ambulance, 30-40 meters away.
“He was covered in blood, he was allegedly 19 years old, he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt.
“My child is in the third grade, she didn’t know what happened. And the kids who were in the first grade said he went inside and attacked one by one.”
For some parents, the nightmare is far from over.
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A desperate mother shared her ordeal with the local Jutarnji, saying that her first-grader child is still missing.
“No one will tell me anything. The other children have gone home, but my baby… is still not here.”
Weeping school staff told 24Sata: “It was terrible, we heard screams and ran away.
“I was running away from school, screams were heard, it was terrible.
“I don’t know where my head is. Terrible, terrible… I’m trying to get some parents on the phone. I don’t know what to say, I’m still in shock.”
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A helicopter was seen landing on the school playground to transport the injured to the hospitalCredit: HRT Radio Sljeme
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Desperate parents were seen waiting anxiously at the school gates Credit: Pacific Coast News
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The crowds were filmed in front of a primary school in the capital ZagrebCredit: Reuters
Police described the attacker as a 19-year-old “young man” and said he was taken into custody.
Local media identified him as a former student of that school.
Emergency services swarmed the site, with at least six ambulances and even a helicopter landing on school grounds.
Health Minister Irena Hrstić and the Croatian police confirmed that one child – a seven-year-old girl – was killed in the attack.
Injured students and teachers were rushed to nearby hospitals.
One teacher – who was supposed to retire – is currently fighting for her life after being rushed to hospital in a critical condition.
It is the first murder in a school in Croatia after 52 years.
Last May, a teenager from neighboring Serbia opened fire at a school in the capital Belgrade, killing nine fellow students and a school guard.
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Police and emergency services were pictured at the scene on Friday morningCredit: Reuters
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One teacher is currently fighting for her life in hospitalCredit: Reuters
Speaking about the horrific attack, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said: “We, like the entire Croatian public, are horrified by this great tragedy that happened this morning at Prečko Elementary School in Zagreb.
“We also express our regret and sympathy to the families of the victims of the Prečko Elementary School.
He added that authorities are still working to determine exactly what happened.
Plenković said that several children were taken to various hospitals in Zagreb.
The headmistress of the elementary school said in shock: “It can’t be good for us, it’s not good for us. We are not making any statements, we ask that you understand at this time.”
The acting director of the Clinic for Children’s Diseases, Iva Hojsak, told reporters in front of the school: “I think this case absolutely horrified and shook us all.”
“Two boys aged seven and 11 were brought to us with stab wounds on their bodies.
“Fortunately, they are out of danger at the moment. However, the diagnostic process is still ongoing and we need to determine the severity of their injuries.”
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Officers have since cordoned off the areaCredit: Pacific Coast News
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It is the first murder in a school in Croatia in 52 years Credit: Pacific Coast News
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