Ex-pupil kills 7 children in classroom gun rampage
A GUNMAN stormed a school yesterday, killing at least seven pupils.
Two female staff members also died and 21 people were injured in the attack on School 175 in the Russian city of Kazan, which began around 9.30am.
Four boys and three girls are among the dead. All were in the eighth grade – around 13 or 14 years old.
Witnesses said Elvira Ignatyeva, a 25year-old English teacher, was killed as she tried to protect one of the children, a police source told Tass news agency.
The suspect was arrested and named locally as Ilnaz Galyaviev, a former pupil at the school. According to Russian media, the 19-year-old earlier shared a chilling photograph on social media, right, and a post in which he called himself ‘ god’ and said he wanted to ‘shoot lots of bio garbage and shoot myself’.
Rustam Minnikhanov, governor of the Tatarstan republic where Kazan is the capital, called the shooter a ‘terrorist’.
He said: ‘ Other accomplices haven’t been established, an investigation is under way. We are deeply saddened that this has happened. It’s a major tragedy for our republic.’
Footage showed students running from the school, while others remained trapped inside the building.
Another video depicted shattered windows, billowing smoke and sounds like gun shots in the background.
Dozens of ambulances lined up at the entrance after the attack.
Galyaviev is said to have received his gun licence less than two weeks ago. He was reportedly expelled from the Tatarstan University of Management a month ago for poor academic performance.
‘He was always neat and calm, he was respectful of fellow students and teachers,’ a representative of the university was quoted as saying.
There have been several violent attacks on schools in recent years, mostly by students. Russian president Vladimir Putin ordered a crackdown on gun control laws and promised families and victims tens of thousands of pounds in compensation.
Mr Putin expressed his ‘ deep condolences’ to the victims, the Kremlin said.
His spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, added: ‘The president gave an order to urgently work out a new provision concerning the types of weapons that can be in civilian hands, taking into account the weapon.’