RTThu, 14 Nov 2019 11:58 UTC
© RIA NovostiAn ambulance stands near the shooting site.
At least one person has been killed and three others injured after an 19-year-old student opened indiscriminate fire at his classmates - and then killed himself - at a college in Russia's Far Eastern city of Blagoveshchensk.
Armed with a shotgun, the attacker opened fire in his own class, seriously injuring several people, one of whom succumbed to his injuries.
When police arrived at the scene, the gunman refused to surrender and turned the gun on himself.
"The bodies of two people, including the attacker, were discovered at the scene," police have confirmed. "Three more people were injured in the shooting at a college. Those injured include two teenagers and a young man," the local health ministry said earlier.
The perpetrator committed suicide, using his own gun.
The gun was legally obtained and registered to the shooter himself, authorities said, although it was not immediately clear what type of weapon was used. Russia's tight firearms regulation allows private citizens older than 18 to obtain gun licenses for self-defense, sports, and hunting, as well as for collectors.
The area is still cordoned off by police, according to videos from the scene captured by eyewitnesses.
Investigators are yet to establish exact motives behind the attack, but initial reports suggest the shooting might've been triggered by an argument and personal animosity between classmates. Other unconfirmed reports alleged the attacker had been kicked out of class for being late - but then returned with a weapon and opened fire.
Comment: RT provides more details on the
incident:
'Are you immortal? Let me check!' Terrified witnesses recall gunman blasting students at Russian college to Kurt Cobain's music
© RIA Novosti / Yevgeny ZemtsovPolice stand guard outside the shooting site
What seemed to be a regular day turned into a nightmare for students of the Amur College of Construction and Utilities in the city of Blagoveshchensk, near the Chinese border. Their quiet, below-average classmate - who they say was bullied at school - turned into a cold-blooded gunman after a seemingly unremarkable incident on Thursday morning.
The 19-year-old student, identified by the media as Daniil Zasorin, was told to leave after he came late for class. It is hard to tell what was actually behind his decision to return with his firearm - legally obtained and registered to the shooter himself - constant bullying or something more painful.
Some students suggested it was vengeance against his classmates for allegedly raping his girlfriend, according to Telegram channel Mash. The crime, they say, occurred inside the college building, and was to become a bloodbath in a matter of minutes.
© RIA NovostiAn entrance to the college building
While he was readying his weapon - reportedly a high-velocity smoothbore shotgun - he was spotted by another student who entered the toilet. For some unknown reason, the gunman decided not to open his body count at that time. He told the witness to jump out of the window if he wanted to live. The student survived the fall but broke both arms, according to 360.
Other witnesses reported that the shooter remained chillingly calm when he burst into the classroom. Surprisingly, he allowed a female teacher to run away, enabling her to call the police from a nearby store. But this didn't stop the rampage.
"He came in quietly," a witness told Komsomolskaya Pravda tabloid.
"There was music playing - Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. He was doing this to the music."
Most of the class hid under tables, but some stood their ground. One classmate stood up, catching the gunman's eye. "Hey, are you immortal?" the shooter asked, moments before shooting his unarmed victim at point blank range with the comment: "Let's check it out!"
The shooter then opened fire indiscriminately, targeting everyone in his crosshairs. Panic and terror broke out, with some students managing to escape and reach the nearest police patrol car.
Officers rushed to the building and encountered the shooter as they went upstairs. They managed to force him back into the classroom, reportedly injuring him during a brief shootout. The authorities say he refused to surrender and turned the gun on himself.
"The bodies of two people, including the attacker, were discovered at the scene," police confirmed. Three more people were injured, including two teenagers and a young man, they said.
As the city is recovering from shock, the authorities have already said they will care for the family of the slain student and look after the injured. Special attention will also be given to ramping up security at other schools and universities.
See also:
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Comment: RT provides more details on the incident: See also:
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- Moscow student posts selfie standing over slain teacher's corpse
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