A long-running conflict between two groups of young people ended on Saturday afternoon with the murder of 20-year-old Johan Zuko in Korça. The victim was shot with an automatic weapon as he tried to leave and enter a building in the city's 15th district, while the suspected perpetrator, Kristjan Sterjo, immediately fled the scene and remains at large.
According to the State Police, the incident began around 4:00 PM with a conflict between several people in an area near the site where the murder later occurred. The clash, which according to preliminary investigations was a continuation of an earlier conflict, moved near the apartment where the victim sought shelter.
Deputy Director for Crime Investigation at the Korça Local Police Directorate, Sejfulla Metko, stated that the conflict "was between two groups of people" , while adding that "it had been going on for some time, it had been pursued by our side and today it precipitated into the criminal incident".
According to investigative data, Johan Zuko entered the entrance of a building and started climbing the stairs to get away from the perpetrator. On the third floor, he was shot from behind with a Kalashnikov bullet. Preliminary examination shows that the victim only received a hit in the lower part of the shoulder, while the bullet exited from the other side of the body, a wound that proved fatal.
A knife was found in the hand of the 20-year-old deceased, which was seized by the investigation team as material evidence. So far, there is no official data that it was used during the murder.
After the shooting, the perpetrator quickly left the area. According to witnesses and the Police, he was seen moving towards the city cemetery. This information led the RENEA special forces, together with dozens of police officers, to conduct intensive checks in that area, as well as near the suspected perpetrator's apartment. The checks were also extended with drones, while at the same time checkpoints were set up and the entrance and exit axes of Korça were armored to prevent his departure.
Police identified the suspected perpetrator as Kristjan Sterjon, who according to police sources has a criminal record for illegal possession of weapons and wounding. He had not been located by evening.
Meanwhile, three people were taken to the Korça Police Station as suspects of involvement in the conflict that led to the murder. Investigators are verifying the role of each of them and how the clash between the two groups began.
One of the direct testimonies at the scene came from the residents of the building where the crime occurred. Kozeta Shakla, who was in the apartment at the time of the shooting, said that she initially did not realize that it was a firearm.
"There was a loud noise as if something had exploded. I said I'm going out to see if anyone had fallen so I could help them. When I went up, I saw the boy lying on the ground. He was bleeding. I'll never forget that scene," she told local media.
Investigations have also revealed that Johan Zuko and Kristjan Sterjo had known each other for years and, according to police sources, had grown up together. The victim had served for more than a year as a paid soldier in the Armed Forces and had only been discharged from duty two months ago, as he planned to leave for England, where his brother lives./Lapsi.al
