The northeastern Croatian town of Daruvar has declared Wednesday 24 July a day of mourning after six residents of a local nursing home were shot dead by a gunman on Monday morning.

The national and town’s flags will be lowered to half-mast on the Town Hall and on the state and local institutions in the town. All culture and entertainment programmes have been cancelled.

“We sympathise with the families of the persons tragically killed and extend our sincere condolences,” the town administration said in a press release.

A retired military police officer walked into the nursing home on Monday morning and started shooting from a handgun, killing five persons on the spot, while one of the injured persons later died in hospital. The gunman’s mother was among those killed.

The man was arrested shortly after his killing spree and is now in police custody. The motive for the assault was not immediately clear.