The ethnic Greek mayor of Himarë, Vasil Bollano, spoke of a "premeditated crime" as the suspects had been "provoking the victim for days".
Socialist Party leader Edi Rama visited the hospital and donated blood for the injured, as well as expressing his deep regret for the lost lives and declaring that all Socialist controlled municipalities in southern Albania, Vlora, Orikum and Himarë were moving to help ease the situation.