71-Year-Old Writer Detained: Suspected in Slovak Prime Minister Shooting
The individual detained and suspected of shooting Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is a 71-year-old man from the central region of the country.
Slovak media have identified him as a local writer, as reported by AFP and cited by Agerpres.
"I believe I can confirm, yes," responded Slovak Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok to journalists inquiring about the attacker's identity. According to the local press, he is one of the founders of the literary club Duha (Rainbow) in the city of Levice.
He has authored several poetry collections and is a member of the official association of Slovak writers.
The Association confirmed on Facebook that the man has been a member since 2015, and if the facts are confirmed, "the membership of this individual will be immediately revoked."
Additionally, the suspect's son informed the news website aktuality.sk that his father possesses a legally registered firearm.
When asked about his father's stance regarding Prime Minister Robert Fico, he responded: "I'll tell you one thing: he didn't vote for him. That's all I can say."
Several statements by the suspect are available on social media. In a video posted online eight years ago, he expressed: "The world is full of violence and weapons. People seem to be going crazy."
The suspect also claimed to have founded a "Movement against violence" in Levice, which is described on his Facebook page as "a political party in the process of formation aimed at preventing the spread of violence in society."
Translation by Iurie Tataru
