Young man goes on shooting spree at Perm State University, 8 killed

A young man went on a shooting spree at the University of Perm, the Ural region of Russia.

Reports about shooting at the Perm State University appeared in the morning of September 20. After the gunshots, students began to jump out of the windows. The shooter freely entered the building of the university and opened fire at those who were present on the ground floor.

The shooter then barricaded himself in the 8th building of the university and opened sporadic fire inside the building.

During the first minutes after the shooting, students barricaded themselves in the classrooms and began to wait for help. Some of the students said that a number of professors refused to stop their lectures and close auditorium doors.

The shooter was later identified as an 18-year-old university student, Timur Bekmansurov. It was said that the man posted a message on social media before the attack on the university.

In the message, the suspect wrote that he was not an extremist, and his crime was not a terrorist attack. According to him, he had been preparing for the attack for a long time, saving money to buy firearms. By the spring of 2021, he had had the required amount.

The suspect underwent medical examination to obtain a weapon permit. He originally planned to attack his former school, but then changed his mind and opted for the Perm State University. The shooter was in his first year of the Department of Law.

Eight people were killed and over 10 were hurt in the shooting at the Perm State University on September 20. The injured suffered not only gunshot wounds, but also bruises and fractures, as students were jumping out of windows to flee for safety.

One of the victims of the attack was a security guard. Reportedly, he tried to stop the attacker at the entrance to the university, but was shot dead.

About an hour after first reports about the shooting at the Perm State University, the Investigative Committee of Russia reported that the shooter showed armed resistance to security forces, was wounded and detained. According to "112" Telegram channel, the attacker suffered fatal wounds and died on the scene.

President Putin expressed his condolences to relatives of the victims.

An aircraft with medical equipment on board flew from Moscow to Perm to help the victims. President Vladimir Putin sent the heads of the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Health to Perm. Deputy Prosecutor General Nikolai Shishkin flew there too. 

The Perm State University  administration asked all eyewitnesses of the shooting to enter the student's House of Culture, and the rest to leave the university grounds. Classes at the university, as well as at all local schools and colleges were canceled.

It was reported that the shooter was neutralized by police. Police junior lieutenant Konstantin Kalinin went to the main building, and senior lieutenant Vladimir Makarov began to evacuate the students. The shooter saw the policeman and started shooting in his direction. The traffic police officer opened return fire and wounded Timur Bekmansurov, after which he neutralized him and provided medical assistance, TASS reports. The attacker remains in critical condition due to the gunshot wounds.