Slovakian PM, Robert Fico, shot and wounded and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries on Wednesday

Fico, 59, was shot greeting crowds in front of a community cultural center in Handlova, a town north-east of the capital Bratislava, following a cabinet meeting

The pro-Russian three time Prime Minister, who is a polarizing and controversial figure in the country’s politics, then reportedly fell to the ground, allegedly after being twice

Security men were seen bundling the gunman to the ground while trying to flee

Fico who suffered shots to the chest and abdomen was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital

Prime Minister, Robert Fico, [photo], was ‘shot and wounded’ in Handlova, north-east of the Slovakian capital Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting

The Prime Minister of Slovakia has been ‘shot and wounded’ by a lone gunman on Wednesday. The injured leader was taken to hospital, according to local media.
PM Robert Fico, 59, a giant of Slovakian politics after serving as PM three times, reportedly was shot in front of a community cultural center in the small town of Handlova, north-east of the capital Bratislava, following a Slovak government meeting.
Shots were fired in front of the House of Culture, as Fico was greeting members of the public before a man was quickly taken down and detained by security officials.
A witness told Slovakian news site Dennik, that Fico had left the building to greet people who had gathered to catch a glimpse of him before ‘several shots were fired’. 
Fico then reportedly fell to the ground, where she claimed to have seen wounds on his head and chest. 
According to The Herald, an eye witness who had been waiting to greet the PM said: ‘I was just going to shake his hand, when the shots rang out it almost deafened me’.

The alleged assailant was nabbed by cops on site, who then cordoned off the area and the House of Culture was evacuated. 
TV Joj alleges the shooter was a 71-year-old man, but this is yet to be confirmed. 
The injured Prime Minister was then airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital after suffering shots to the chest and abdomen, reports Pluska. 
It was also reported that someone from within the crowd yelled ‘Robo, come here’ before the shooting began. 

Security officials were seen moving Fico into a car after he was shot following a government meeting on Wednesday outside the House of Culture in the city of Handlova

PM Fico was airlifted to a nearby hospital in the town of Banska Bystrica, with life-threatening injuries

The maverick politician whose career was all but considered to be dead in Slovakian politics, Fico made a stunning comeback last year. The controversial politician, who at different times has been considered either extreme left or extreme right, won a third term as Slovakian prime minister last October after running a campaign that criticized western support for Ukraine.
Assuming office in November, Fico had pledged an immediate end to Slovak military support for Ukraine and promised to block Ukraine’s NATO ambitions in what would upend Slovakia’s staunch backing for Ukraine.

The alleged assailant was taken into custody at the scene by security men on Wednesday

The yet to be gunman is seen sitting on the ground, his hands cuffed behind

Following the shock attack, the head of the liberal political party Progressive Slovakia, Michala Šimeček, said:’ We unequivocally and strongly condemn any violence. We trust that Prime Minister Fico will be fine and that this terrible act will be brought to light as soon as possible.’ 
According to a local report from Digi24, a Romanian news TV channel, Fico was hit by at least two bullets, before the Slovak Ministry of the Interior confirmed it was an assassination attempt.

Hours before the shooting, PM Robert Fico was seen speaking with people [photo], before the commencement of the cabinet’s away-from-home session in the town of Handlova, Slovakia

Fico has been serving as the PM of Slovakia since September 2023, having served previously from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018.
A controversial figure once credited with commenting on Brexit saying the United Kingdom ‘must suffer’ more than the 27 countries who will remain in the bloc, in 2016 at the height of the Brexit debate, which polarized Europe at the time, Fico has been dogged by unproven allegations of corruption in his administrations, leading to his resignation from office in his second tenure.

Slovak authorities have not released the shooter’s [seen on the ground], motivation for attempting to assassinate the country’s leader

Four shots were fired and while the number of shots that hit Fico is not clear, he reportedly suffered life threatening injuries. President Zuzana Caputova condemned ‘a brutal and ruthless’ attack on the premier’

Following Wednesday’s shooting, Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova condemned ‘a brutal and ruthless’ attack on the premier.
‘I’m shocked,’ Ms Caputova said. 
‘I wish Robert Fico a lot of strength in this critical moment and a quick recovery from this attack.’
Deputy speaker of parliament Lubos Blaha confirmed the incident during a session of Parliament and adjourned it until further notice, the Slovak TASR news agency said.
There is allegedly no information about the shooter’s motives at this time.