Fatal shooting in Anykščiai district leaves elderly man dead

A 74-year-old man was shot and killed by Lithuania’s Aras anti-terrorist unit in Sviesteliškis village, Anykščiai district, after he fired at officers with an illegally held weapon, local media LRT reports.

The incident began on Sunday evening when the man, described as having a history of aggressive behaviour, threatened relatives with a firearm at a homestead. Family members called the police, and when officers arrived, the man turned the weapon on them. Aras personnel were then deployed. According to police, the man refused orders to lower his weapon, fired a shot, and was subsequently killed by return fire. No officers were injured.

Anykščiai district mayor Kęstutis Tubis, a former criminal police officer, acknowledged the shock within the community but stated that the use of force was unavoidable in this case. “Sometimes it is necessary to neutralise a person who poses a threat to others. It is a radical measure, but in certain situations, Aras officers have no choice but to use their weapons,” Tubis said. He added that such incidents are rare and that authorities will fully investigate the circumstances.

Višintų elder Virginija Macijauskienė, who knew the man’s family, described the situation as painful and noted that the exact details will emerge from the ongoing pre-trial investigation. She confirmed the man had lived alone in recent times.

Gintautas Sakalauskas, a criminologist and associate professor at Vilnius University’s Faculty of Law, stated that firearm-related crimes are relatively rare in Lithuania due to strict gun control, despite the country’s high levels of violence. He argued that the Aras officers acted lawfully, as they are authorised to defend themselves and others. “The court will assess whether the legal conditions for self-defence were met. When a person fires a gun and threatens others, the danger is clear,” Sakalauskas said. He added that it is unrealistic to expect all such tragedies to be preventable, as some situations leave no alternative.