L'ubomir Harman Slovak serial killer Date of Birth: 31.03.1962 Country: Slovakia

Biography of Lubomir Harman

Lubomir Harman, a Slovak serial killer, was responsible for a shooting rampage in the area of Devin-Nova-Ves, resulting in the death of approximately 70 people and the injury of 46 individuals. Born in 1962 in Bratislava, Slovakia, Harman attended Liptovsky Hradok School in 1968. He was described as a quiet and diligent boy who did not seem bothered by his solitude. Harman excelled at football and served in the military during the 1980s.

Prior to his crimes, those who knew Harman had no inkling of his criminal tendencies. He was seen as a "normal" individual in all respects. After leaving the army, Harman found employment in a wood processing company and joined a hunting club. Membership in the club allowed him to acquire a CZ SA Vz.58 automatic rifle. However, he later lost his job, relied on welfare for a while, and switched jobs several times. He resided in the suburb of Devin-Nova-Ves.

Although Harman never married or had children, he did have friends who recalled his withdrawal and lack of interaction with others in the week leading up to the tragic events. On the morning of August 30, 2010, armed with his rifle, Harman burst into the apartment of his neighbors, killing five individuals inside. He also added another random passerby to his list of victims. Once on the street, Harman began firing indiscriminately at cars and shooting at windows. Unfortunately, one woman who heard the strange noises and went out onto her balcony was killed by one of his bullets. By the time the police received reports of gunfire on the street, Harman was already near a shopping center, where he injured another ten people. Witnesses later described his behavior as shooting at anything that moved. One young man managed to capture a photo of Harman using his mobile phone. Notably, Harman had also remembered to wear noise-canceling headphones. He had no intention of surrendering peacefully to the authorities and fired at the police officers who arrived, injuring one of them. While retreating, he continued to wound random passersby. Cornered and out of ammunition, Harman shot himself. According to some reports, he had already been seriously wounded by a police bullet. In total, his rampage lasted about 40 minutes, resulting in the deaths of seven people and the injury of 15 others, including a three-year-old child. Lubomir Harman became the final victim of this horrific day.

Initially, there were rumors that Harman, dubbed the "Bratislava shooter" by the press, was a former military officer or police officer. There were also speculations about the involvement of two or three accomplices. However, these claims were mere conjecture. Harman had no affiliation with the military, and his access to firearms and proficiency in using them came from his membership in the hunting club. It is known that Harman enjoyed spending his free time at shooting ranges and practicing his marksmanship. The prolonged conflict with his neighbors, who became his first victims, was cited as the trigger for his insane behavior. Some sources also suggested that the crime could be seen as racially motivated, as the murdered family was reportedly of Romani origin.

The episode in Devin-Nova-Ves stands as one of the most tragic and bloody mass crimes in Slovakia.