School Shooting in Russia Leaves 15 Dead, 24 Wounded
- By Matt Jones
- September 26, 2022
The Associated Press reports that a school shooting in central Russia on Monday, Sept. 26, killed 15 people, wounded 24 more, and ended with the gunman killing himself, according to authorities. The shooting occurred at School No. 88 in Izhevsk, in the Udmurtia region about 600 miles east of Moscow.
A Russian Investigative Committee has identified the gunman as Artyom Kazantsev, 34, a graduate of the school, according to the Associated Press. The committee said that Kazantsev was wearing a black T-shirt with “Nazi symbols.” No further details about the motive for the attack have been made available.
Of the 15 people killed, 11 were children, and of the 24 wounded, 22 were children, according to the committee. The school houses children between grades one and 11.
Governor of Udmurtia Alexander Brechalov said that the gunman was registered as a patient at a psychiatric facility and killed himself after the attack. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called the shooting “a terrorist act,” the AP reports.
“President Putin deeply mourns deaths of people and children in the school, where a terrorist act took place,” Peskov said to reporters on Monday.
The Russian National Guard said that Kazantsev used two non-lethal handguns that had been modified to fire real bullets, and that the guns were not registered with authorities. A criminal probe has been launched on charges of multiple murder and illegal possession of firearms, according to the Associated Press.