Sanski Most school triple murderer given 42 years

Vukalic (62) was found guilty of murdering the high school principal Nijaz Halilovic, the secretary Nisveta Kljunic, and the English teacher Gordana Midzan. He killed all three with shots from a submachine gun in August 2024. After this shooting spree, the perpetrator attempted to take his own life, but the injuries he inflicted on himself were subsequently treated at a hospital in Banja Luka.

He was sentenced to 14 years for each of the three murders, and an additional year for illegal possession of a firearm, with the sentences combined into a single 42-year term. At the end of the trial, he expressed remorse for the murders. "I regret what I have done, I am sorry for it," he said in his closing statement.

The court concluded that Vukalic committed these crimes while in a state of diminished responsibility, a point emphasised by his defence. His lawyers argued that he had been systematically discriminated against at work, which ultimately affected his mental state and led to the murders.

He now has the right to appeal to the Supreme Court of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.