Russian university shooter alive, getting treated in hospital: Investigators

Russia’s Perm State University spokesperson Natalia Pechishcheva earlier said that the 18-year-old gunman was “liquidated.”

The shooter in a Russian university who opened fire on Monday and caused casualties, is alive and receiving treatment at a hospital, news agency Reuters reported citing the Investigative Committee Law Enforcement Agency.

Ambulances parked at the Perm State University in Perm, after the teenage gunman opened fire on Monday. (AP Photo/Anastasia Yakovleva)

This fresh update contradicts an earlier statement made by Perm State University spokesperson Natalia Pechishcheva, who earlier said that the gunman had been “liquidated.”

Furthermore, the investigative agency has also lowered the death toll in the incident to six people instead of the earlier eight, adding that as many as 28 individuals had received medical treatment. “According to clarified data, six people have been killed as a result of the crime,” the agency was quoted in a statement by Reuters.

The incident occurred in Perm State University with videos on social media showing desperate students dropping off belongings from windows before themselves jumping to escape the shooter. According to Reuters, the investigative agency said that the gunman had procured the crime weapon – a hunting rifle, in May.

Local media had also identified the shooter as a teenager (aged 18), who had earlier uploaded pictures of himself on social media sites, posing with a rifle, helmet and ammunition. Also, a social media account attributed to him had a post that read, “I’ve thought about this for a long time, it’s been years, and I realised the time had come to do what I dreamt of.”

However, the post was later taken down and the social media account comprising pictures of the gunman with weapons couldn’t be independently verified, Reuters reported.

Monday’s incident marked the second attack on an educational institution after another teenage shooter opened fire in May 2021, thereby claiming the lives of nine persons and wounding several others.