BELGOROD, August 6 (RIA Novosti) – A man who allegedly shot six people to death around a hunting store in southwest Russia said during his trial on Tuesday that he had intended to steal weaponry from the store then kill a supermarket security guard who had insulted him days before.
Sergei Pomazun, dubbed in media reports as the Belgorod shooter, in reference to the city where the incident occurred, told the court that after exiting the store, where he allegedly shot three people with a rifle, he did not indent to shoot anyone on the street.
“But a man rushed in my direction holding a hand under his jacket,” the defendant said. “I thought he was a police officer and that was why the shooting started. … I took the first shot at him and then began shooting at other people to clear my way to my BMW X5 car.”
Pomazun, who is also accused of killing three people outside the store, including two schoolgirls, aged 14 and 16, told police while he was being detained that he was shooting “into hell.” His lawyer has claimed that he is schizophrenic, but he has been deemed fit to stand trial.
Pomazun, who previously served four years in prison for theft and is currently facing life behind bars, recently told the court that he was used to killing women and children on combat duty during the Second Chechen War, from 1999 to 2001.
But the judge informed the court that, according to case materials, Pomazun had never served in the North Caucasus. The defendant replied that he was serving there on a classified mission upon orders from Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU.
Defense lawyer Viktor Yeremeyev cited the Chechen War reference as grounds to conduct another psychiatric evaluation of his client. But Judge Nikolai Kudinov refused that request, saying the initial evaluation, which proved that Pamazun was mentally stable and fit to stand the trial, remained in force.
