Shooting at Russian University Leaves 6 Dead, 28 Hurt

Shooting at Russian University Leaves 6 Dead, 28 Hurt
Students stand near the Perm State University in Perm, about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 20, 2021.(Anastasia Yakovleva/AP Photo)
The Associated Press
9/20/2021
Updated:
9/20/2021

MOSCOW—A student opened fire Monday at a university in Russia, leaving six people dead and 28 hurt, before being shot by police and detained, officials said.

Beyond saying that he was a student, authorities offered no further information on his identity or possible motive.

During the attack, students and staff at Perm State University locked themselves in rooms, and video posted on Russian news sites showed some students jumping out of second-story windows.

In some footage, a black-clad, helmeted figure could be seen striding on a campus sidewalk cradling a long-barreled weapon. Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top body for criminal probes, said the gunman fired a smoothbore hunting weapon. That could indicate he used a shotgun.

The Investigative Committee said six people were killed, revising down its earlier figure of eight dead. No explanation was given for the change.

A group of students gather near the Perm State University in Perm, about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Anastasia Yakovleva/AP Photo)
A group of students gather near the Perm State University in Perm, about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Anastasia Yakovleva/AP Photo)

A traffic police unit was the first to reach the scene, and the suspect opened fire on them, according to the Interior Ministry. He was wounded when police returned fire and then was disarmed, the ministry said. The gunman also was armed with a knife, it said.

The university, which has 12,000 students enrolled, said about 3,000 people were on the campus at the time of the shooting. The school is in the city of Perm, which is about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow with a population of about 1 million.

The Investigative Committee said 28 people were injured, some of them hospitalized, but did not give details. The Health Ministry said 19 of them were shot; it was not clear how the others were injured.

Police officers run to the Perm State University in Perm, about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Anastasia Yakovleva/AP Photo)
Police officers run to the Perm State University in Perm, about 1,100 kilometers (700 miles) east of Moscow, Russia, on Sept. 20, 2021. (Anastasia Yakovleva/AP Photo)