School shooting in Russia: 11 children among 15 dead

MOSCOW –

A gunman opened fire at a school in central Russia on Monday, killing 15 people and injuring 24 others before killing himself, authorities said.

The shooting took place at School No. 88 in Izhevsk, a town 960 kilometers (600 miles) east of Moscow in the Udmurtia region.

The Russian Investigative Committee identified the shooter as Artyom Kazantsev, 34, a graduate of the same school, and said he was wearing a black T-shirt with « Nazi symbols » on it. No details of his motives have been released.

The Committee said 15 people, including 11 children, were killed in the shooting and 24 others, including 22 children, were injured in the attack.

Udmurtia Governor Alexander Brechalov said the gunman, who he said was registered as a patient in a mental institution, committed suicide after the attack.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the shooting as « a terrorist act » and said Russian President Vladimir Putin had given all necessary orders to the relevant authorities.

« President Putin deeply mourns the death of people and children at the school, where a terrorist act took place, » Peskov told reporters on Monday.

The school educates children between first and eleventh grade. She was evacuated and the area around her was cordoned off, the governor said.

The Russian National Guard said Kazantsev used two non-lethal handguns adapted to fire live ammunition. The weapons were not registered with the authorities.

A criminal investigation into the incident has been opened on charges of multiple murders and unlawful possession of firearms.

Izhevsk, a city of 640,000, is located west of the Ural Mountains in central Russia.