BELGRADE 

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Wednesday that the attack outside the National Assembly in Belgrade was a “terrorist act with political motives,” carried out by a former State Security employee who used a firearm to create general danger.

Vucic, in an emergency address from the Palace of Serbia, identified the suspect as Andelkovic Vladan, born in 1955 in Belgrade, and said the man has legally owned a pistol—a Crvena zastava M99—since 1993.

He said one person has been arrested in connection with the incident, and that investigators will determine the final legal status of the act, which may involve the Prosecutor's Office for Organized Crime or the Higher Public Prosecutor in Belgrade.

Earlier in the day, Vucic interrupted his appearance at a state event to announce that a “terrorist act” had occurred in front of the parliament building.

“I apologize for having to leave this wonderful event, but the reason is a terrorist act that took place in front of the National Assembly, and I will have to deal with it throughout the day,” he said during a ceremony at the Palace of Serbia.

Describing the episode as a “horrific terrorist attack” that targeted other people and property, Vucic said the act bore a clear political motive and was intended to spark widespread panic.

He said the attack occurred in response to what he described as repeated calls for violence and that it was "only a matter of time" before such an incident occurred.

Vucic also said that, to date, premises belonging to the ruling Serbian Progressive Party and the Movement for the People and the state have been attacked 812 times, with 29 of those locations completely destroyed, burned, or vandalized, and he asserted that no premises of any opposition party had been attacked.

“So much for dictatorship and autocracy in Serbia,” he said.

Vucic urged citizens not to hold retaliatory gatherings planned for later Wednesday and Thursday, saying revenge “has brought no good to anyone” and warning that anyone who attempts vigilante reprisals will be strictly punished.

“We need peace and stability, and we will ensure it. This person and any possible accomplices will be severely punished if they exist. The investigation will establish that,” he said.

Local media reported that gunshots were heard at a tent settlement outside the parliament—where supporters of the ruling party have camped for months—before a fire broke out.

Unconfirmed reports said a man fired several shots inside one of the tents, wounding another person in the leg. The injured man was taken to the emergency center, and the alleged attacker was detained.

Following the incident, heavy police units, including members of the Special Anti-Terrorist Unit (SAJ), were deployed around the parliament building.

Vucic criticized protesters who have occupied numerous sites since demonstrations began last year, calling the tent in front of the parliament “the only point of resistance to violence” and accusing opponents of fostering hatred and aggression that, he said, targeted students and others.

The Prosecutor’s Office will decide the official charge and legal classification of the incident, Vucic said, adding that if his assessment is correct, the case could be taken up by the Organized Crime Prosecutor’s Office.