Ľubomír Harman
Encyclopedia
Ľubomír Harman was a Slovak spree killer
who on August 30, 2010 killed 7 people, and wounded 17 more in a densely populated suburb of the Slovak
capital Bratislava
, before committing suicide after receiving what would have been a fatal wound from the police. After murdering a family of 5 inside a neighbour's flat in a local apartment building
, he killed another man from the same family outside the building, proceeding to shoot in a busy street and also targeting people standing on their balconies, killing another woman.
. According to his former schoolmate Pavol Časnocha who took karate
lessons with him at the time, Harman was "a little quiet, I don't want to say withdrawn, maybe a loner". Another former classmate, Peter Žihľavník, remembered him as being an average student without any notable abilities. According to him "(Harman) was not withdrawn and didn't have any kind of phobia, he was a normal boy". They also sometimes played football together.
Harman went through the compulsory military service in the early 1980s, but he was never a professional soldier and he had no criminal record.
Harman used to be a hunter, this is - according to some - how his relationship with firearms began. On January 10, 1998 Harman became the member of "Club of Reserve Soldiers 008 Fox" in Bratislava
, where he often practiced shooting and participated in shooting competitions. He was often seen practicing at a shooting range in Stupava
near Bratislava.
During the 1990s Harman worked for four different companies in which he was remembered as always fulfilling his duties the way it was expected. In a company, where he was employed as a boilerman, a female colleague remembers that people used to call him "silent face". "He worked and worked and worked, he listened, but did not talk", she recalls. He is remembered as always frowning but never slacking, helping everyone anytime, described even as an "ideal employee". He worked mainly in maintenance in different heater rooms around Bratislava
. He quit his last job suddenly two years ago, being unemployed since August 1, 2008, despite being persuaded by his employer to stay. Since 2008 he was unemployed, he was receiving €118 welfare a month. This would later affect his presence at competitions and in practice because of lack of money. In 2010 before the murders he entered only one shooting competition.
The Slovak police corps president said that Harman was in no relationship with his victims.
According to his friend from the shooting club, Daniel Líška, Harman neither showed any aggressive nor hostile behaviour. He has never mentioned any conflicts with his neighbours. He did not communicate with any of his neighbours and they couldn't recall having any conflicts with him either. According to his neighbours he was hard to notice and he never greeted anyone.
According to Harman's ex-colleague who appeared anonymously on camera in TV Markíza
on September 2, 2010, Harman was a "good soul" and he got exploited easily.
On August 30, 2010 Ľubomír Harman became the first Slovak
gun-wielding spree killer
when he opened fire in Devínska Nová Ves
district in a suburb of the Slovak capital, Bratislava
killing 7 people and injuring 17 before committing suicide. After the massacre, over 9000 bullets were found in his apartment.
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
who on August 30, 2010 killed 7 people, and wounded 17 more in a densely populated suburb of the Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
capital Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, before committing suicide after receiving what would have been a fatal wound from the police. After murdering a family of 5 inside a neighbour's flat in a local apartment building
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
, he killed another man from the same family outside the building, proceeding to shoot in a busy street and also targeting people standing on their balconies, killing another woman.
Early life
Ľubomír Harman attended a forestry high school in Liptovský HrádokLiptovský Hrádok
Liptovský Hrádok is a town in northern Slovakia, in the region of Liptov.-History:First mentioned in 1341, Liptovský Hrádok was named after the nearby castle. The castle, also known as Liptovský Hrádok, was built originally for use of the forestry commission, hunters of the area and the...
. According to his former schoolmate Pavol Časnocha who took karate
Karate
is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks,...
lessons with him at the time, Harman was "a little quiet, I don't want to say withdrawn, maybe a loner". Another former classmate, Peter Žihľavník, remembered him as being an average student without any notable abilities. According to him "(Harman) was not withdrawn and didn't have any kind of phobia, he was a normal boy". They also sometimes played football together.
Harman went through the compulsory military service in the early 1980s, but he was never a professional soldier and he had no criminal record.
Adult life
Ľubomír Harman spent a lot of his time in nature. After finishing high school and military service, he was employed in Wood Industry Bratislava as an "energetician in the technical division". He stayed there for four years. According to an unnamed long-time friend, people liked him there at the time as he would sometimes go drink some beers with his colleagues.Harman used to be a hunter, this is - according to some - how his relationship with firearms began. On January 10, 1998 Harman became the member of "Club of Reserve Soldiers 008 Fox" in Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, where he often practiced shooting and participated in shooting competitions. He was often seen practicing at a shooting range in Stupava
Stupava, Malacky District
Stupava is a small town in western Slovakia. It is situated in the Malacky District, Bratislava Region.-Geography:The town is located in the Záhorie lowland, under the Little Carpathians, around north of Bratislava at an altitude of 182 metres. It has 8,400 inhabitants as of 2005 and has a land...
near Bratislava.
During the 1990s Harman worked for four different companies in which he was remembered as always fulfilling his duties the way it was expected. In a company, where he was employed as a boilerman, a female colleague remembers that people used to call him "silent face". "He worked and worked and worked, he listened, but did not talk", she recalls. He is remembered as always frowning but never slacking, helping everyone anytime, described even as an "ideal employee". He worked mainly in maintenance in different heater rooms around Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
. He quit his last job suddenly two years ago, being unemployed since August 1, 2008, despite being persuaded by his employer to stay. Since 2008 he was unemployed, he was receiving €118 welfare a month. This would later affect his presence at competitions and in practice because of lack of money. In 2010 before the murders he entered only one shooting competition.
The Slovak police corps president said that Harman was in no relationship with his victims.
Relationships
Harman never got married and lived a solitary life. According to an unnamed long-time friend, Harman was lately more withdrawn than ever in his life before. He was keen on his parents, brother and sister and he had a good relationships with them. All of them were still alive at the time of the murders.According to his friend from the shooting club, Daniel Líška, Harman neither showed any aggressive nor hostile behaviour. He has never mentioned any conflicts with his neighbours. He did not communicate with any of his neighbours and they couldn't recall having any conflicts with him either. According to his neighbours he was hard to notice and he never greeted anyone.
According to Harman's ex-colleague who appeared anonymously on camera in TV Markíza
Markíza
Markíza is a television station in Slovakia. The station launched on 31 August 1996. The station was owned by the politician Pavol Rusko, and is now part of CME network...
on September 2, 2010, Harman was a "good soul" and he got exploited easily.
Murders
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
gun-wielding spree killer
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
when he opened fire in Devínska Nová Ves
Devínska Nová Ves
Devínska Nová Ves ) is a borough of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Its western borders are formed by the Morava River, which also represents the national border between Slovakia and Austria....
district in a suburb of the Slovak capital, Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
killing 7 people and injuring 17 before committing suicide. After the massacre, over 9000 bullets were found in his apartment.