Skopje, 25 October 2023 (MIA) — Interior Minister Oliver Spasovski has blamed a criminal gang feud for Tuesday's shooting in East Gate Mall, in which two people were injured.

"We have exact knowledge of the background of the person who was shot and the conflicts he was in," Minister Spasovski said, adding that "these are criminal groups that we have mainly broken up during our numerous operational actions."

"Only in the last month, as part of the 'Mountain' operational action, we detained three gang members," he said.

He pointed out that there had been a high degree of "confrontation between these criminal groups, which were formed over 30 years."

Declining to share any details regarding ongoing investigations, he said public safety was not under threat. "The police are constantly on the ground, not only at the moment, but all the time," Spasovski said in response to a reporter's question whether the public was safe after yesterday's shooting in Skopje's East Gate Mall.

"As far as this incident is concerned, the police have been actively on it since yesterday," he said, noting that a special headquarters was formed at the Skopje Police Department and they were cooperating with the criminal police, forensics, and organized crime department.

"Everyone is collecting information and evidence for the Public Prosecutor's Office so we can establish the facts and find the perpetrator," the interior minister said.

Asked how it was possible for a shooting to be allowed to happen at the East Gate Mall for the second time this year, Spasovski said crime was happening in Skopje and in other cities in the country every day and the police's job was to improve security.

"Such isolated incidents happen and will happen," he said.

In response to a suggestion to install weapon scanners at mall entrances, Spasovski said this had been discussed several times in the Interior Ministry.

"Obviously some kind of solution and legal regulation should be adopted, which would require from the large shopping centers to take measures to protect the public," he said. mr/