Slovak authorities charge 'lone wolf' with assassination attempt on the prime minister

BANSKA BYSTRICA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovak authorities charged a man Thursday with attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico, saying he acted alone in a politically motivated attack. Fico’s pro-Russia views have contributed to deep divisions in the small European country that borders Ukraine.

Fico, 59, was in serious but stable condition a day after being shot multiple times, a hospital official said. President-elect Peter Pellegrini said he spoke to Fico at the hospital and confirmed his condition “remains very serious.”

The attempted assassination of Fico has shocked the nation and reverberated across the continent weeks ahead of European elections. While Pelligrini and President Zuzana Caputova urged people to dial back the sharp rhetoric that has characterized the political debate, some Fico allies took aim at Slovakia’s media for contributing to the polarization.

Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok asked journalists to “reflect” on how they had covered Fico's policies. He referred to the suspect — who was charged with premeditated murder — as a “lone wolf” who did not belong to any political groups, though he said the attack itself was politically motivated.

“I can confirm that this person is not a member of any right-wing or left-wing radicalized party,” Estok said.

Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond, and his return to power last year on a pro-Russian, anti-American message led to even greater worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course — particularly on Ukraine.

At the start of Russia's invasion, Slovakia was one of Ukraine's staunchest supporters. Fico halted arms deliveries to Ukraine when he returned to power, his fourth time serving as prime minister.

Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would result in the government’s full control of public television and radio. That, coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, have led opponents to worry that Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.

Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies.

Slovak police have provided little information on the identity of the suspect. But unconfirmed media reports suggested he was a 71-year-old retiree who was known as an amateur poet, and may have previously worked as a security guard at a mall in the country’s southwest.

At a news conference on Thursday following a meeting of Slovakia’s Security Council, government ministers gave more details about the man, while still not naming him.

Estok said the suspect cited his dissatisfaction with several of Fico's policies as motivation for the attack. The minister said presidential elections in the spring prompted the assault, and that the suspect had attended a recent anti-government protest.

“I can confirm to you that the reason it was a politically motivated, attempted premeditated murder is as the suspect himself said: the media information that he had at his disposal," he said. “I think each of you can reflect on the way you presented it.”

At the same news conference, Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak also blamed the media for tensions in the country.

The tenor of those remarks stood in contrast to a news conference earlier in the day when the country's outgoing and next presidents — political rivals — appeared together in an appeal for Slovaks to overcome their increasingly tense political differences.

“Let us step out of the vicious circle of hatred and mutual accusations," said Caputova, the outgoing president and a rival of Fico's.

Pellegrini, the president-elect, called on political parties to suspend or scale back their campaigns for European elections, which will be held June 6-9.

“If there is anything that the people of Slovakia urgently need today, it is at least basic agreement and unity among the Slovak political representation. And if not consensus, then please, at least civilized ways of discussing among each other,” Pelligrini said.

Fico said last month on Facebook that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the murder of politicians, and he blamed the media for fueling tensions.

Grigorij Meseznikov, a political scientist who heads the Institute for Public Affairs think tank in Bratislava, said he disagreed that media played any role in inciting violence against Fico. “We have very good and independent media in Slovakia,” he said. “The media is doing its job.”

Before Fico returned to power last year, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations, and dozens have been charged.

His plan to overhaul of the penal system would eliminate the office of the special prosecutor that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism.

Zuzana Eliasova, a resident of the capital, Bratislava, said the attack on Fico was a “shock” to the nation and an attack on democracy.

“I believe that a lot of people or even the whole society will look into their conscience, because the polarization here has been huge among all different parts of society,” she said.

Doctors performed a five-hour operation on Fico, who was initially reported to be in life-threatening condition, according to director of the F.D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banska Bystrica, Miriam Lapunikova. He is being treated in an intensive care unit.

Five shots were fired as Fico was greeting supporters at an event Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova, nearly 140 kilometers (85 miles) northeast of the capital, government officials said.

Fico returned to power in Slovakia last year after having previously served three terms as prime minister. He and his Smer party have most often been described as left-populist, though he has also been compared to politicians on the right like the nationalist prime minister of neighboring Hungary, Viktor Orbán.

Condemnation of the attack came from both Fico's allies and adversaries abroad. On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a message to President Caputova, expressing his support and wishing the prime minister a fast and full recovery.

“This atrocious crime cannot be justified,” Putin said in the message released by the Kremlin. “I know Robert Fico as a courageous and strong-willed person. I truly hope these personal qualities will help him overcome this harsh situation.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also denounced the violence against a neighboring country’s head of government.

“Every effort should be made to ensure that violence does not become the norm in any country, form or sphere,” he said.

Josek and Jenne reported from Bratislava, Slovakia. Associated Press journalists Jan Gebert in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, Karel Janicek in Prague, and Vanessa Gera in Warsaw, contributed to this report.

A man prays holding Slovakia's flag outside the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is treated in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hospital director Miriam Lapunikova speaks during a media briefing together with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Slovakia Robert Kalinak, right, outside the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is treated in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Slovakia's incumbent President Zuzana Caputova, right, and President elect Peter Pellegrini hold a joint press conference at the presidential palace in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections.(AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Slovakia Robert Kalinak, center, speaks during a joint press conference with Slovakia's Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok, right, at the government headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister of Slovakia Robert Kalinak is surrounded by journalists after a press conference at the government headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives for a cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova, Slovakia, Wednesday, May, 15, 2024. Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and injured after the away-from-home government meeting in Handlova, according to information confirmed by Parliamentary Vice-Chair Lubos Blaha, who suspended the House session. (Radovan Stoklasa/TASR via AP)

People walk outside the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is treated in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot multiple times and gravely wounded Wednesday, but his deputy prime minister said he believed Fico would survive. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Slovakia's Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok speaks during a joint press conference with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Slovakia Robert Kalinak at the government headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, Thursday, May 16, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was in serious but stable condition Thursday, a hospital official said, after the populist leader was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt that shook the small country and reverberated across the continent weeks before European elections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Police cars are parked outside the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is treated in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.(AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A police line is placed outside the entrance of the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is treated in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting after a political event Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile.(AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Slovakia's prime minister was attacked by an armed assailant and hospitalized Wednesday. (AP Graphic)

Rescue workers wheel Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, to a hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. (Jan Kroslak/TASR via AP)

Police arrest a man after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and injured following the cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova, Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. (Radovan Stoklasa/TASR via AP)

Rescue workers wheel Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, to a hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. (Jan Kroslak/TASR via AP)

Rescue workers take Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, to a hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. (Jan Kroslak/TASR via AP)

FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico arrives to a round table meeting at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. Media reports say on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 that Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico was injured in a shooting and taken to hospital. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert, File)

Rescue workers wheel Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, to a hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Slovakia's populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. (Jan Kroslak/TASR via AP)

Police arrest a man after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot and injured following the cabinet's away-from-home session in the town of Handlova, Slovakia, Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Fico is in life-threatening condition after being wounded in a shooting Wednesday afternoon, according to his Facebook profile. (Radovan Stoklasa/TASR via AP)

SCHENECTADY, N.Y. (AP) — Trick-or-treaters in the Northeast who in past years would bundle up under their Bluey or Beetlejuice costumes comfortably roamed neighborhoods in unseasonably mild temperatures Thursday.

New York City hit 81 degrees (27.2 Celsius) on Halloween, with Boston topping out at 78 degrees (25.5 C). Caribou, Maine, hit a high of 75 degrees (23.8 C), well above the Halloween average of 47 degrees (8 C).

Buffalo, New York, saw a record-breaking 78 degrees — a year after light snow fell on Halloween.

In Schenectady, parents walked kids dressed as ninjas, superheroes and princesses down residential streets before the sun went down. The temperature was in the 70s, and people were loving it.

“It’s not a typical Halloween by any means,” Tom Kaczmarek said as he accompanied his 4-year-old daughter, who was dressed as a ghost. “But it’s nice not to have to cover our daughter in a coat, so she can wear her costume fully and proudly.”

Twelve-year-old Emma Abraham said she was a little hot in her Joker costume, but she was going to pull through.

“These temperatures are running on average about 20 degrees warmer than normal,” said Samantha Borisoff, a climatologist at the Northeast Regional Climate Center at Cornell University. She noted that weather can vary widely in October, a transitional month between seasons.

“So every Halloween can be very different,” she said.

This year was a far cry from 2011, when an early Nor’easter just before Halloween dumped heavy, wet snow around New York's Hudson Valley region. In 2012, the New York City area was reeling on Halloween after Superstorm Sandy ravaged the northeastern coastline Oct. 29, causing about $65 billion in damage.

Elsewhere, parts of eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin were getting their first snow of the season Thursday. The National Weather Service said there was high uncertainty about accumulations because the ground is still warm. Snow melted when it hit the pavement in downtown Minneapolis.

But revelers in the Northeast were enjoying the treat while it lasted. Temperatures were expected to return to normal ranges starting Friday.

Nelson Rose wore a bewigged scary clown mask in the late-day Schenectady sun, but he said he was comfortable as he rolled a double stroller for his grandchildren.

“The end of October and we’re still getting this 70-degree weather,” he said. “I’m not complaining at all.”

Associated Press writer Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis.

A boy dressed in a firefighter costume arrives to watch a Halloween parade, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

A man carries a child dressed as a king upon arriving to watch a Halloween Parade, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Parents attend a Halloween parade compare costumes, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Children at Daniel Warren Elementary School walk in a Halloween parade, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Children at Daniel Warren Elementary School walk in a Halloween parade, Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024, in Mamaroneck, N.Y. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)