Chief Investigator for Perm region commits suicide following Perm University mass shooting

Colonel Sergei Sarapultsev, the head of the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Perm region, was found dead in his house. 

It was reported that he committed suicide. A gun was found near the body.

The colonel returned home after a meeting at the regional branch of the Investigative Committee, at which they discussed investigation into the mass shooting at the Perm State University. Following the meeting, several officers were removed from their participation in the investigation.

On September 22, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, arrived in the city of Perm. He visited victims of the armed attack at hospital and instructed investigators to find out the reasons for the attack on the university.

Sergey Sarapultsev was born in 1967. He graduated from the Perm State University, which Timur Bekmansurov, the Perm gunman, attacked on September 20. Sarapultsev had served in the tax service until 2002, and then started working at investigative bodies of the Office of the Public Prosecutor. He was appointed the head of the Perm department of the Investigative Committee of Russia in July 2018. Colleagues describe him as an experienced and knowledgeable investigator.

On the morning of September 20, an armed gunman, Timur Bekmansurov, came to the Perm State  University and started shooting people. Six people were killed, more than 20 were injured. The shooter was seriously wounded during the arrest; doctors had to amputate his left leg.

It became known that Colonel Sergei Sarapultsev, the head of the Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Perm region, was criticised at the meeting that took place several hours before his death. According to sources, the colonel was accused of poor organization of the investigation and late response to complaints from the population.

Following the results of the meeting, the colonel was given to understand that he would need to step down from his position.