"This will turn into war," fear Subotica residents, following migrant shooting

People in the town in Serbia's Vojvodina province worry that they or their children will be hit by a bullet.

Bloodstains in the parking lot of a Lidl supermarket in Subotica on Saturday morning testify to the bloody migrant showdown that had taken place there the night before. All seems calm now in and around the store with people going about their shopping, but all were also talking about the events of Friday night. We hardly met anyone who hadn't heard of the latest act of violence committed by illegal immigrants.

The Lidl supermarket parking lot in Subotica, Serbia (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)

On Friday, Magyar Nemzet was among the first to report that migrants had fired shots a few hundred meters from the city center in Subotica. The incident took place shortly after 6 p.m., when the supermarket's parking lot was full of shoppers, including children. 

Investigators on scene after shooting in Subotica (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)

Witnesses said they heard four or five shots and saw an injured migrant collapse. Several healthcare professionals who happened to be shopping rushed to his aid and tried to stop the bleeding. Ambulances arriving on the scene later transported the wounded man to the local hospital in Subotica. 

Witnesses also reported seeing four or five migrants, presumably who had fired the shots, running away from the scene immediately after the incident. Two illegal immigrants were led away by police officers arriving on the scene, but it is not known whether they were involved in the attack.

Bloodstains in the parking lot of Lidl in Subotica (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)

During the forensic investigation, part of the parking lot was cordoned off while the experts collected shell casings and other evidence. Off the record, the police said residents were not in danger. However, the people of Subotica told Magyar Nemzet a different story. One woman reported that she was sitting in her car when she heard the sound of gunshots at close range, and the wounded migrant fell against her car before collapsing on the ground. "My heart stopped, I can't even speak. I'm in total shock," she said. One man said he was used to the sound of constant gunfire as he lived near the migrant-infested forest of Makova Sedmica (Makkhetes erdo), but he never thought that the clashes among illegal migrants would spread to the city center.

They [migrants] are the only ones in the forest, but locals shop here. What if a child is hit?

 he asked.

What will become of this? War,

a local resident who mainly blames the local authorities for letting the situation escalate told Magyar Nemzet.

Hilda Nagy and her husband at the Lidl store in Subotica (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)

Hilda Nagy and her husband regularly shop at Lidl, but on Saturday morning they arrived at the store with trepidation. They said that illegal immigrants are making people's daily lives a misery. And the fact that guns are now going off not only in the woods but also in the immediate vicinity of the center is extremely worrying, they added.

What will become of this? Migrants can start shooting anywhere?

 the couple sorrowfully responded to our reporter's questions. 

We have previously reported that the German chain and its parking lot are a popular gathering place for migrants. This is where taxi drivers regularly wait for them here and they also do their shopping here. Migrants are also attracted by the free internet access available in the store. 

Shopping cart piled with bread at Lidl (Photo: Magyar Nemzet) 

Locals have repeatedly expressed their fear of migrants, but the chain has not taken any security measures to stave off possible incidents. The store did not stop operating during the shooting, and while the bleeding migrant lay in the parking lot, locals were free to shop. 

The President of the Hungarian Association of Vojvodina (SVM/VMSZ) also reacted to the events. In his Facebook post, Istvan Pasztor wrote that the shooting outside the Lidl supermarket in Subotica should be a final warning that Serbia should review its migration policy. He said that illegal migration must be stopped decisively and without leniency. 

The time for just talking is over, the state must protect its citizens,

the party chief emphasized.

Balint Pasztor, leader of the SVM/VMSZ parliamentary group in parliament, recalled that since 2015, the ethic Hungarian party has been demanding in the Serbian parliament that the state protect its own citizens.

I hope that now everyone realizes that this cannot go on like this. We will continue to persevere!

he said.

Cover photo: Police car in parking lot of Lidl in Subotica on 9 September 2023, after migrants started shooting outside the store the night before (Photo: Magyar Nemzet)