Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić will cover funeral costs for the victims of Wednesday’s mass school shooting in Belgrade, his National Basketball Association (NBA) team said on Thursday.

Nine dead, several wounded in school shooting in Serbia

A 14-year-old boy shot dead eight fellow pupils and a security guard and wounded his teacher and six other students when he opened fire in his…

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Police said that the suspected shooter, a 13-year-old boy, took two of his father’s handguns to kill eight pupils and a security guard at their school in the Serbian capital, the nation’s first mass school shooting case.

“I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent children,” Dončić said on Twitter.

“I am exploring both immediate and long-term ways to support the students, faculty, and families affected by the shooting,” he added.

Belgrade, I support and stand with you all during this difficult time. Through @LD77Foundation I am exploring both immediate and long-term ways to support the students, faculty, and families affected by the shooting at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School.

— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) May 4, 2023
The Slovenian four-time NBA All-Star, who has family connections to Serbia on his father’s side, plans to provide “long-term assistance” to those impacted, a Mavericks spokesman told Reuters.

“I am committed and I will continue to share updates and ways to support as details become available,” Dončić said.

It comes as Serbia suffered a second mass shooting in just two days, after eight people were killed and a suspect arrested in what President Aleksandar Vučić on Friday called a “terrorist attack”.

The Balkan country had just begun three days of mourning for the victims of Wednesday’s shootings when news broke of the second incident, which authorities said occurred late on Thursday in the village of Dubona, 42 km (26 miles) south of Belgrade.