Australian-Croatian hero helps wounded officer at Zagreb’s St. Mark’s square shooting

Don Markušić speaking to the media on Monday after the shooting (Screenshot/HRT)

ZAGREB, 12 October 2020 – Australian-Croatian lawyer and vice president of Crodiaspora, Don Markušić, was one of the first on the scene after a police officer was seriously wounded on Monday morning in Zagreb’s St. Mark’s Square. 

A man with a machine-gun fired several shots on St. Mark’s Square just after 8 am wounding one police officer before committing suicide at a different location. 

Markušić was walking behind Banski Dvori to throw out his trash early Monday morning when he heard explosions in the distance. He first thought that the explosions were a result of the construction that was going on due to the recent Zagreb earthquake. 

Markušić found out that it was gunshots from his colleague at his law office on the corner of St. Marks square, across the street from Banski Dvori.

Hiding from the gunman, Markušić came across the wounded police officer. He stayed with the 31-year-old policeman, who works as a personal security officer for the government, giving the officer his coat, and helping others place pressure on the officer’s wounds. 

(Photo: Crodiaspora)

Markušić, in spite of the danger, stayed with the officer until emergency responders came.

Don is well known in the Croatian returnee community. He is a lawyer who always takes on a fight for a righteous cause as he has exemplified in his work. All who know Don knows that he represents the best of Croatia. In 1996, Don returned to Croatia. He is the President of the Asia-Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Transparency International, President of ACAP Zagreb, and Partner at Markusic&Maretic Odvjetnicko Drustvo.

An investigation is underway to establish facts about the shooting. According to other eyewitnesses’ accounts, the attacker opened a barrage of fire at the government building.

According to media reports, which quote eyewitnesses, the attacker arrived outside the government building from the northern side of the Church of St. Mark and fired a burst at the entrance to the building, gravely injuring the police officer standing there. He then turned to the other side, fired another burst at the parliament building, and ran away.

The head of the city’s Sisters of Charity Hospital, Mario Zovak, where the police officer was taken, said the officer had been shot in the left arm and both sides of his torso but that for the time being, his condition was stable.

Zagreb police said the police officer had undergone surgery and his condition was stable. The parliament has cancelled all visits to the parliament and meetings scheduled for today.