Slovakia’s Prime Minister Survives Attempted Assassination, Faces Life-Threatening Condition, Reports One America News Network
OAN’s James Meyers
10:57 AM – Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Slovakia’s Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has been put in life-threatening condition after being shot on Wednesday in an “attempted assassination,” his office announced.
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Fico’s Facebook page said in an update: “He was shot multiple times and is in a life-threatening state.”
The post also stated that he was being taken to a hospital in the city of Banska Bystrica rather than in the capital, Bratislava, because “it would take too long considering the urgency of the matter.”
The shooting took place after an off-site government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlova. The suspected gunman was among a small crowd of people waiting to greet the prime minister on the street outside the cultural center, where the meeting was taking place, according to local media outlets.
Footage captured showed the prime minister being bundled into a vehicle by his staff, taking off quickly with him inside. Fico was taken to a local hospital and then transferred by helicopter to a major trauma center close to 20 miles away in Banska Bystrica.
Meanwhile, Slovakian President Zuzana Čaputová stated the suspected gunman was detained by the police.
Čaputová condemned what she called a “brutal and reckless” attack on the prime minister. “I’m shocked. I wish Roberto Fico all the strength in this critical moment to recover from the attack,” Čaputová wrote on Facebook. Speaking at a news conference later in the afternoon, she said the attack was “an attack on democracy as well.”
Maria Kolikova, who is a political rival, described the assault as “an attack on the internal security” of Slovakia.
Fico was elected in October last year and recently held a press conference saying he would begin investigating politicians in the country who were pushing vaccine mandates.
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