The death toll recorded on Monday when a man entered a Russian school and opened fire rose to 17 people, including at least 11 children, with 24 wounded, local authorities announced.
The previous figure was 15 dead.
The shooting took place at a school in Izhevsk, a city 960 kilometers from Moscow, in the Udmurtia region.
Russia’s Investigative Committee identified the gunman as 34-year-old Artyom Kazantsev, saying the man attended that school and was wearing a black shirt with “Nazi symbols” on it, but without giving a reason.
According to the government of the Udmurtia region, 17 people, including 11 children, were killed in the shooting, with Russia’s Investigative Committee adding that another 24 people, including 22 children, were injured in the attack.
Udmurtia Governor Alexander Brechalov said the gunman was registered as sick in a psychiatric institution and had committed suicide after the attack.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the shooting as “a terrorist act” and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had given “all necessary orders” to the relevant authorities.
“President Putin deeply regrets the death of people and children in the school, where a terrorist act took place,” Peskov told reporters.
Students at the school in question attend grades 1 to 11, but are not allowed to enter the building as the surrounding area was cordoned off after all people were evacuated from the building, the governor said.
According to the Russian National Guard, Kazantsev used two non-lethal pistols adapted to fire live bullets, and a criminal investigation into the incident has been opened on charges of multiple murder and illegal possession of firearms.
Izhevsk, a city of 640,000 people, is located west of the Ural Mountains in central Russia.
The UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has already “strongly condemned” the act of violence and admitted to being “deeply saddened”, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the Government and people of the Russian Federation, and wishing the wounded “a speedy and complete recovery”.
The European Union also condemned the shooting and sent its condolences to the families and friends of the victims.
Source: TSF
