8 children, security guard killed in Serbia school shooting

May 3 (UPI) -- Serbian authorities said that a 14-year-old boy suspected of killing eight classmates and a security officer at his school in Belgrade Wednesday morning had planned the attack for "a long time."

Seven girls and one boy were among those killed in the rampage at Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School in the upscale Belgrade section of Vracar. One of the six children who were injured is in critical condition after being shot in the head and chest. A teacher was seriously wounded in the attack as well.

"[The suspect] planned the execution in this criminal offense for a long period of time," said Belgrade Police Chief Veselin Miljic said, who added that a motive is not yet known.

Authorities also arrested the suspect's father on Wednesday. Serbian Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic said the father had previously gone to a shooting range with his son. One of the two weapons the suspect had on him belonged to his father.

Authorities also confirmed that the suspect called the police himself after the shooting and waited for authorities to arrive and arrest him.

Serbia's Minister of Education Branko Ruzic said there will be three days of mourning for the victims starting May 7.

Officials received reports of a shooting at Vladislav Ribnikar in Belgrade at 8:30 a.m. local time as police responded and found the alleged shooter, a seventh-grade student at the school, in the schoolyard and arrested him.

The Interior Ministry said that police were still on the scene working to collect facts in the case.