Zrinski Topolovac shooting

On 1 January 1993, a mass shooting occurred in Zrinski Topolovac, Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia when 28-year-old Vinko Palić shot and killed nine people and wounded seven others at a New Year's Eve party, before committing suicide.^[1]

At 00:00 CET 1 January 1993 in the Zrinski Topolovac clergy house, a new years eve party (attended by about roughly 40-ish people) took place. During the party, Vinko Palić and another man disputed over a woman. After the dispute, Palić was frustrated at the man and went home, at home he changed into a military uniform, took out an automatic rifle and returned to the party. At the party, he shot dead 8 guests, including his rival, the woman who he disputed over and his brother, and injured 6 others, Palić later went to the house of one of the deceased women and shouted "Look and see what i did to your children" Palić also killed one police officer on deputy and wounded another when they arrived on call. The shooting lasted two hours, during the shooting he spared the local priest, Palić said "You, I won't, you're a priest".

One of Palić's five brothers, Zlatko, tried to stop Vinko, but he told him too: "Run, I'll kill you!" At that moment, Vinko's other brother Nikola was already lying dead in the Žun Dvor, with a gun lying next to him. He was trying to prevent his brother from the mass slaughter on New Year's Eve. In the end, seeing special forces approaching the palace, Palić laid down on the road and shot himself in the head, ending the shooting.^[2][3][4]

Vinko Palić (1964 – January 1 1993) was born in Zrinski Topolovac and was a soldier of the 105th Brigade in the Croatian Army. He had returned from the Croatian War of Independence two weeks before the shooting took place, Palić also suffered from PTSD after returning from the frontline which the government knew before the shooting took place. Palić was also known to sometimes shoot his automatic rifle in the village at random and was "hard when he was drunk" and was also known to "eat glass bottles" when he was in a drunken state. Otherwise when Palić wasn't drinking he was known to be kind and well mannered. In an investigation after Palić's death another unregistered weapon was found in his house.^{[3] [5]}