A Bosnian bodybuilder live-streamed himself brutally murdering his ex-wife on Instagram on Friday before going on a shooting rampage that ended in suicide.
The following article contains semi-graphic descriptions of violence. Please read at your own discretion.
The Video
35-year-old Nermin Sulejmanovic filmed three videos documenting the violence that occurred in Gradacac, a northeastern Bosnian town. After it was over, three innocent people were dead, and more were injured.
The nightmare began last Friday morning when Sulejmanovic started filming his Instagram live video. He started by telling his followers they would witness a live execution.
He then turned the camera to his ex-wife whose face was bloody and disfigured with injuries.
“Look, when you’re dealing with a wh**e who reports you to the police,” he tells viewers as a child cries in the background.
He goes on to state that his ex-wife had “hidden” his child from him for over a week and reported him to the police for domestic violence.
“Here, watch the murder live now, nice and easy… Are you watching?” the bodybuilding says to the camera before firing a bullet into his wife’s head.
He then moves the camera to film the child lying on the floor. “Here, someone come and save the child. Moving on,” he says.
Over 12,000 people watched the live murder.
Other Videos
He then filmed two more live videos on the social media app while being pursued by police. He told his viewers that he had killed two others off-camera. The pair was later identified as a man and his young son.
He had also wounded a police officer, a man, and a woman during the police chase.
He finally committed suicide “after being located and before being apprehended” according to police reports.
Violent History
No motive was given for the violent attacks, but Sulejmanovic’s ex-wife had reported him for domestic violence in the past. He also had a criminal record for smuggling drugs and attacking a police officer. He was identified as a member of a drug gang during his drug-smuggling arrest in 2013.
Reactions
The murders shocked the Bosnian community.
“I have no words to describe what happened today in Gradacac. The murderer took his own life in the end, but no one can bring back the lives of the victims,” said Nermin Niksic, prime minister of the Bosnian Federation.
Ingrid MacDonald, U.N.’s resident coordinator in Bosnia, noted the accelerated levels of violence against women in Bosnia and called for “immediate collective action”.
“The United Nations stands horrified by the fact that the murder of a female victim was live streamed via a social network, which is one of the latest in a streak of femicide and several cases of gender-based violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina,” Macdonald said.
“We call on the authorities to resolutely commit to eradicating this heinous crime, and urge the international community, governments, civil society, and individuals to join forces to prioritize the eradication of femicide.”
Authorities warned that followers who commented with supportive messages during the incident could face legal consequences.