A student opened fire on a university campus in central Russia on Monday killing at least eight people, investigators said, in the second mass shooting at an education facility this year. Eight people were confirmed killed, six were injured in a shooting on the campus of a university in the Russian city of Perm – Russia’s Investigative Committee said. There was no clarity on the intention of the gunman.
Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said several people were also injured in the attack at Perm State University and that the suspect had been wounded while being detained. Investigators previously said that five people were killed and another six wounded. Visuals circulating on social media showed panicked students jumping out of university buildings to escape the shooter. There was no clarity on whether the victims also included people who were injured due to jumping from the buildings. It has also been noted that the person who opened fire on campus was armed with a ‘traumatic’ non-lethal weapon. Some reports say the gunman had written on social media that he was acting alone and had no political or religious motives. Russia has relatively few school shootings due to normally tight security in education facilities and because of difficulty of buying firearms legally, although it is possible to register hunting rifles. State media played amateur footage reportedly taken during the attack showing an individual dressed in black tactical clothing, including a helmet, carrying a weapon and walking through the campus. Perm University posted a message on social networks urging students who were in the building to stay in the classrooms.
