Shooting at Russian university leaves 6 dead

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 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.

Although firearms laws are strict in Russia, many people obtain permits for hunting weapons.

News reports cited officials as saying the suspect had a permit for a pump-action shotgun, although it was not clear if it was for the weapon used. Despite the firearms regulations, mass shootings take place.

In May, a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan, killing seven students and two teachers, with a registered weapon. A student at a college in Russia-annexed Crimea killed 20 students and himself in 2018.

– PTI