Slovak Shooting: PM Fico Conscious and Communicative, Suspect Assisting Police in Investigation

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico is awake and communicative after the attempted assassination against him, meanwhile the alleged gunman has helped police search his own car and home for evidence.

The President-elect of Slovakia Peter Pellegrini has met with shot Prime Minister Robert Fico, and has revealed the politician didn’t lose consciousness during or after the attack. Robert Fico has not suffered memory loss and remembers being shot, being evacuated by car and air to the hospital, and receiving treatment by the emergency team, Pellegrini said.

His memory continues to the point of being sedated at hospital for the operation to save his life, the next head of state revealed. Pellegrini reveals: “The prime minister remembers what happened. He was surprised how it could happen and how quickly it [happened]”.

A police officer is seen in front of the house where the alleged shooter of Slovak Prime Minister lives, on Mai 16, 2024 in Levice, Slovakia. Authorities charged an alleged gunman on May 16, 2024 with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying the shooting was sparked by the election win last month of a Fico ally. The premier’s condition has stabilised but was still “very serious” a day after the violence that prompted deep worries of an escalation in the politically polarised nation. Media reported that the suspected gunman was a 71-year-old writer. (Photo by Alex HALADA / AFP) (Photo by ALEX HALADA/AFP via Getty Images)

While no definitive update on Fico’s health after a would-be assassin fired a handgun at him five times on Wednesday has been given today, yesterday it was confirmed that the Slovak leader had undergone a five hour surgery to save his life, and that while still in serious condition he was no longer in life-threatening state.

A 71-year-old man was arrested at the scene of the shooting, and while Slovak police have decided not to confirm the identity of the suspect charged with attempted premeditated murder, national media has widely identified “leftist” poet Juraj Cintula. The suspect has reportedly confessed to police and proclaimed his pride at the act, and is assisting officers in their inviestigation.

The man accompanied officers to his car on Thursday to help them in recovering evidence, and made another trip with police to his apartment in Levice for the same purpose. TVNoviny reports the man was wearing a bullet-proof vest and helmet when escorted inside his apartment by anti-terror officers on Friday morning, and they remained inside for several hours. A computer and documents were removed by police.

Police also searched the man’s country residence, a picturesque cottage, but reportedly did not remain for long. The report particularly noted the presence of an engraved stone slab at the cottage reading “Memento mori” — remember, that you too will die — the well known Latin phrase reminding humanity of its short time on earth.

A growing controversy in Slovakia after the shooting is what accusers are saying is the ineffectual response of the Prime Minister’s close protection team who failed to prevent the attack, and then seemed unsure how to react afterwards. Slovak broadcaster Dennik N states of the attack as captured by a local television crew:

The footage shows that the security guards did not prevent the shooter from shooting five times at the prime minister, then left him lying shot on the ground for a few seconds, and even after they carried him to the car, the security guards ran around in confusion and did not immediately take him away.

The Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, who has overall responsibility for the office organising political protection officers has said he doesn’t recognise that any mistake took place, and the director of that force does not need to resign. He has also rejected the suggestion he should resign himself.