A law student at his university in Perm, Russia, shoots around with a hunting rifle. At least six people die. Memories of similar crimes in the past are awakened.
Perm – A gunman killed at least six people at a university in the Russian city of Perm in the Urals. According to the authorities, more than 20 people were injured in the attack on Monday. The perpetrator – apparently a law student in his first semester – was injured during arrest and taken to a hospital.
The college later deleted initial reports that the young man should have died. It is the second crime of its kind at a Russian educational institution this year.
Videos on social networks showed how the man, masked and armed with a hunting rifle, entered the campus of Perm State University around 1200 kilometers east of Moscow in the morning. From inside the building, students filmed how the perpetrator, according to the media, was only 18 years old and approached the entrance.
“Shit, he shot a guy!”, A panicked female voice could be heard in the background. Some people jumped out of the windows of the multi-story building. Others holed up in lecture halls, barricaded the doors with chairs and tables.
Act announced in the network
According to media reports, the shooter had announced his act shortly beforehand on the Russian social media platform VK. The profile is now blocked. In the contribution, the young man wrote that he did not follow any ideologies. His goal is to kill as many people as possible. He is now being investigated for murder.
Actually, it was to be expected that the reporting in the Russian media on Monday would be almost exclusively devoted to the parliamentary elections, in which the Kremlin party United Russia won a victory and the opposition complained of massive manipulation. But the crime in Perm is causing horror across the country.
President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and spoke of a “tremendous misfortune”. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin ordered the ministers of health and education to fly to Perm to support the university. Medical personnel were also flown to the Ural foothills. The Perm people were called upon to donate blood for the many injured.
State television kept showing footage of students who had gathered in front of their university throughout the day. In their faces: sadness and bewilderment. The university canceled all lectures by the end of the week. A day of mourning has been announced across the region for Tuesday.
Federal government dismayed
The federal government was also dismayed by the fatal shots. “That is a horrible act,” said government spokesman Steffen Seibert. “Our thoughts and our sympathy go with the relatives of the murdered and of course with those who are now grappling with the consequences in the hospitals.”
In May, a 19-year-old had killed nine people in a school in the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Most of the victims in the city of Kazan at the time were children. The man was arrested for murder and is on remand.
In 2018, an 18-year-old vocational student shot and detonated an explosive device in the city of Kerch on the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, which was annexed by Russia. 20 people died.
After the rampage in the city of Kazan around 720 kilometers east of Moscow, there were calls for more control over gun owners – for example for an electronic database in which medical examinations are recorded. Accordingly, psychological suitability and possible drug use should also be checked. Prime Minister Mischustin had announced that he would also review the security precautions at schools and, if necessary, strengthen them. This also applies to holiday camps. dpa
