Η αστυνομία αργότερα επιβεβαίωσε ότι τα μέλη της οικογένειας ήταν στο διαμέρισμα, προσθέτοντας ότι αυτός ήταν ένας από τους λόγους που η επιχείρηση κράτησε τόσο.
The group's secretary, Vesna Gojkovic, claimed that Sljivancanin was not in the building, and that the apartment was occupied "only by his 23-year-old daughter and a child".Police later confirmed that family members were in the apartment, adding that this was one of the reasons why the operation lasted as long as it did.