Stabbing of a 17-year-old in Korçë: Relatives’ testimonies revealed, conflict reportedly started over a game

Details have emerged about the conflict that began over a card game and ended with the stabbing of a 17-year-old in the village of Bulgarec, Korçë. According to testimonies, the quarrel initially started after the injured teenager won a game and, as a “reward,” the opponent was supposed to buy him a drink something the latter refused to accept.

Tensions reportedly continued the following day, when the two young people were again involved in a confrontation. They are said to have exchanged punches, but the situation escalated out of control, leading to the use of a bladed weapon, resulting in the 17-year-old being injured.

The victim’s grandfather, Shaban Mersinaj, stated that the youths had clashed inside a local bar and that everything stemmed from a physical altercation. He added that his grandson is not a problematic person and that the two families have had close relations.

“They were playing there, he hit my grandson with a cue stick. He fell to the ground. From what we were told, my grandson got up and the injured one hit him again, then he started bleeding and only then my grandson reacted. The incident happened inside the bar. We are relatives, we are cousins, they fought over nothing. My grandson is not a troublemaker, he is a calm and hardworking boy. We have spoken with the other family, we met at the hospital, there is no acceptance of what happened. The injured boy is in good condition, just a scratch under the arm. The police took my grandson; after the incident he came home and told us he had been hit. These are momentary things, not past conflicts,” he said.

Another relative added: “They told us a boy from the village stabbed him in the chest. They were playing cards, arguing who won. They had already fought with fists and then he was stabbed. We are close with the other family, the children had no issues. It was a fight over a game, as the boy told us. I just want to see how my son is, that’s all I care about. He is a high school student. We have had no conflicts with anyone in the village, we don’t understand how this happened to our boy.”

“KORÇA BOOM”