At a press conference held by the Novo Mesto Police Directorate on 12 July 2026, the police presented the conclusion of their two-day operation to investigate several violent criminal offences and to search for a dangerous, aggressive and armed suspect in the wider Uršna sela area.
The Director of the Novo Mesto Police Directorate, Dejan Kink, thanked local residents for their responsible conduct and cooperation, as well as police officers for their dedicated, selfless and courageous work. He stressed that, following the extensive operation, a safe environment had been restored.
The investigation established that on Friday evening, 10 July, a 41-year-old Croatian national committed several armed criminal offences in the areas of Gotenica, Kočevje and Črnomelj, and then fled towards Uršna sela. While fleeing, he shot at police officers, assaulted two of them and took their service weapons and mobile phones. The search operation involved police officers, criminal investigators, the Special and Specialised Police Unit, police dog handlers, drone operators and a police helicopter.
Following a report from a local resident, police officers tracked down the suspect on Saturday afternoon, 11 July, in a house in Uršna sela, where he was holding a resident hostage. The hostage was safely rescued by the police, after which another shooting occurred. Members of the Special Police Unit entered the building, where the perpetrator was found dead. The circumstances of the incident and the motive for the criminal offences remain under investigation, with the National Forensic Laboratory and the Croatian security authorities also participating in the investigation.
The Deputy Director General of the Police, Donald Rus, emphasised that the threat to the public had been eliminated and that no police officer was injured during the demanding operation. He noted that the officers had carried out their duties under exceptionally dangerous conditions, in difficult and hard-to-access terrain, while confronting an extremely violent perpetrator, and that such situations are treated with the utmost seriousness. He also stated that the Slovenian police maintained excellent cooperation throughout the operation with the Croatian security authorities, which had previously dealt with the perpetrator as well.
The Minister of the Interior and Public Administration, Franci Matoz, thanked the police officers for their professional and dedicated work and highlighted the importance of further improving their equipment and working conditions.
