Police in Blagoveshchensk in Amur Oblast, Russia are still investigating the deadly shooting that took place early in the morning on 14 November at the local College of Construction and Utilities. The exact cause of the incident remains unknown.
Here is what preceded the incident and how it unfolded:
What happened at the college?
- The 19-year-old fourth year student, reportedly named Daniil Zasorin, brought a shotgun to a lesson and started shooting students.
- The incident was preceded by the teacher not letting him in due to arriving late.
- After leaving the educational institution, the shooter went home and grabbed his gun before returning to class armed and playing a song by Nirvana in the background.
- He initially ordered the teacher who had removed him from the lesson to get out and then started shooting his classmates.
- The gunman first killed a male student who had failed to hide before proceeding to shoot others, leaving a total of two students injured, one of them seriously. Another student jumped out of a window in an attempt to save himself, breaking both his arms.
- The shooter refused to surrender, opening fire on police responding to the incident. The culprit was reportedly wounded in the exchange and barricaded himself in one of the classrooms. The attacker then took his own life using the gun.
How and Why Could It Happen?
- Police said that the shooter had brought the gun inside the college without any difficulty, as the facility was not equipped with metal detectors.
- The person working as a guard at the college was not properly licenced for the job, law enforcement said. The guard has since been detained pending further investigation.
- According to the accounts of some students, the attacker had been bullied by his classmates and could have been triggered by this.
- The Police believe that a personal conflict could have been what provoked the attacker, while the governor of Amur Oblast has said that the gunman acted alone.
Other Details
- Some students claim that the shooter was a quiet and calm person who didn't have any conflicts with anyone.
- The attacker bought his Saiga-type semi-automatic shotgun legally with his own money, his parents told the media, adding that he kept it in a safe, as per Russian law.
It remains unclear what led the gunman to carry out the heinous act, but local police are currently scouring his personal computer and records to determine the cause. The culprit had no police record. Regional authorities have promised to boost security at educational facilities in the region in light of the attack.