Kosice: Man Shot with Air Gun – Police Investigate Series of Attacks

Kosice Residents on Edge as Police Investigate Series of Street Shootings

Police in Košice, Slovakia are investigating a series of shootings targeting individuals on Kuzmányho housing estate. Multiple people have been hit, with at least one victim requiring medical attention to remove a projectile, according to local news outlet Korzár.

The incidents have occurred near a shopping center, approximately 200 meters from a local elementary school and gymnasium, raising concerns among residents who have been sharing information about the shootings on social media. Preliminary findings suggest the perpetrator may be firing from a window of an apartment building, likely using an air weapon.

Police have registered a total of five reports received on the emergency hotline in connection with the incidents. Four of these have been classified as offenses, including damage to glass in the shopping center. Two of the offenses relate to breaches of public order, with the complainants sustaining minor injuries; one of the injured parties decided not to pursue the matter further.

However, one case is being investigated as a suspected crime of causing bodily harm. An unknown perpetrator fired a weapon of as-yet undetermined type, hitting a man. The projectile was removed during medical treatment, secured, and sent for forensic examination.

Investigators are also looking into an earlier incident from late last year, where a woman was reportedly hit by an air weapon. A criminal proceeding for causing bodily harm has already been initiated in connection with that incident, and a forensic expert has been brought into the investigation.

According to regional news reports, police monitored the area using a drone. A tactical unit reportedly entered an apartment building on suspicion that the shootings may be linked to a person legally possessing firearms. Police seized five air weapons from one individual, but forensic analysis has so far failed to establish a match between the seized weapons and the projectile recovered from the victim.

Investigators are therefore exploring multiple lines of inquiry and are working with the possibility that the individual incidents may not be connected. The investigation remains ongoing.

On January 7, Košice regional police arrested a man suspected of engaging in terrorism and committing other crimes. This arrest involved a special task force, chemical laboratories, the fire and rescue service, bomb disposal experts, and the army. The Slovak Intelligence Service also contributed to the operation. The same man was previously arrested in 2021 after being found in possession of various chemical materials, substances for the production of explosives, and ammunition. He received a suspended sentence at that time. Police state the suspect had become radicalized over the years, with his activities evolving to relate to terrorism.

Separately, on February 27, 2025, Košice police detailed a dramatic intervention involving a man wielding a machete. According to police, the man failed to respond to verbal commands and the use of a Taser. He then attacked intervening officers with the machete, prompting one officer to fire their service weapon, hitting the suspect. The suspect was transported to the hospital by emergency medical services. Police discovered the suspect was banned from driving until 2038 and are awaiting the results of a toxicology examination to determine if he was under the influence of any substances.

In a separate incident, a Slovakian court ruled on October 21, 2025, that a man who shot and wounded Prime Minister Robert Fico would receive a 21-year sentence. This ruling has drawn criticism from some, who point to perceived disparities in sentencing compared to other cases.