Several people were killed and injured when gunshots were fired at a Russian school in the city of Izhevsk on Monday. The Russian news agency Tass reported late Monday evening that the death toll had risen to 17. “According to the Russian investigative body, 17 people died, including 11 children and six adults,” the agency said. The department of the Interior Ministry of the Udmurt Republic also assumes that more than 20 people were injured. Some children were injured jumping out of school windows.
The perpetrator killed himself, as confirmed by the Interior Ministry. In the afternoon, the investigators gave details about the identity of the perpetrator: It was a 34-year-old who used to be a student at school no. 88. He is said to have fired two Makarov pistols. The man is said to have been in mental health care for problems. He has also been fined with a fine.
The Kremlin described the deadly shots as a “terrorist act”. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the perpetrator “apparently belonged to a neo-fascist organization or group.” Investigators said the man was wearing a black T-shirt with Nazi symbols and a balaclava. No real evidence was presented for this. Investigators said the man’s home and surroundings are now being checked for Nazi views.
According to official information, almost 1,000 students study at school no. 88, and 80 teachers teach here. Udmurtia is a republic in the European part of the Russian Federation, Izhevsk is its capital, it is located about 1000 kilometers east of Moscow.
Apparently, finding security guards for schools is difficult
In Russia, rampages used to be very rare, but in recent years attacks on educational institutions with many dead and injured have increased, for example in May 2021 at a high school in Kazan, the capital of Tatarstan, which borders on Udmurtia. Russian authorities blamed the foreign countries, attackers would be inspired by shootings at US schools, it was said again and again.
In Russia, the question arose on Monday as to whether the authorities had learned too little from the recent tragedies. Protection in schools has been strengthened by law. But apparently the search for security guards is difficult.
According to a report by newspaper Moskovsky Komsomolets there have been at least two advertisements at school no. 88 since last year, but no one was found who was willing to take care of the protection of the students and teaching staff. According to the newspaper, a security company was on duty on the day of the rampage.