A gunman who killed seven people in a mass shooting in Kyiv on Saturday (18 April) had quarrelled with his neighbour before he opened fire on passersby, public broadcaster Suspilne cited Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko as saying on Tuesday.
The man had been in a long-running dispute with his neighbour and on the day of the attack the two had argued, Suspilne reported, citing Klymenko.
Klymenko on Tuesday outlined the shooter's actions: First he fired shots from a non-lethal pistol near the entrance to his building, then he returned to his apartment and grabbed a rifle, set the apartment on fire and went out into the street.
The shooter had been recording the events on a dictaphone, likely to keep a record of the dispute in case of possible defence, Suspilne said citing the minister.
"That is, he may not have intended to shoot," Klymenko was quoted as saying. "He was recording this scandal so that he would not be accused later in court, for example, or by the police of having told someone something."
Such shootings are extremely rare in Ukraine. The incident has sparked a debate on the public's right to own guns for self-defence, as well as an outcry over the actions of two patrol police officers who were filmed running away after hearing gunfire, leaving civilians unprotected.
A drawing of the outline of a body above the words "Who is protecting who?" appeared on a road near the site of the incident.
Ukrainian media outlet Ukrainska Pravda cited Klymenko as saying that the entire management chain of Kyiv's patrol police department has been removed from their posts.
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, speaking in his nightly video address, said the shooting happened in the Holosiivskyi district, injuring 14 people, including a 12-year-old boy.
"He took hostages and unfortunately, one of them was killed," Zelenskyy said. "Four people died simply on the street. One woman died in hospital after being seriously wounded."
Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko said the shooter had been identified as a 58-year-old native of Moscow.
Zelenskyy added that the suspect had lived for some time in the eastern Donetsk region, one of the focal points of Ukraine's four-year war with Russia.
Witnesses cited by unofficial Telegram channels said the gunman walked down the street shooting people at close range without warning before entering a supermarket.
Inside, police attempted to negotiate with him for around 40 minutes, but the suspect was eventually shot dead during the operation, Klymenko said.
Authorities said seven people, including a child, remain in hospital, with four in intensive care.
The Interior Minister described the attacker as “most likely a pensioner” who owned a registered carbine and had a medical certificate allowing him to use the weapon. He also noted the man had a criminal record.
Security services are treating the incident as a possible “terrorist act,” although the motive remains unclear.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the countr...
Uzbekistan summoned Iran’s ambassador following claims by several Iranian diplomatic missions that the historical and architectural heri...
Kazakhstan marks Republic Day on 25 October with an ambitious economic agenda and a growing partnership with Azerbaijan, as the two Caspian neighbo...
Around 11,000 people joined a demonstration in Orléans on Saturday against the National Rally congress, according to the local prefecture.
Typhoon Champi swept past Taiwan on Saturday, leaving one person dead and more than 500 injured as strong winds and torrential rain brought down trees, cut power and disrupted transport across the island.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described a deadly shooting in the towns of Trappes and La Verrière, west of Paris, as a racist attack and ‘a turning point’ for the country.
Israeli forces have maintained a tight closure on Hebron in the occupied West Bank for a second day, with Palestinian media reporting home raids, mass detentions and dozens of residents forced outside following a shooting incident the day before.
German police have detained a suspect after a major fire broke out at the historic Kehlsteinhaus, known as the “Eagle’s Nest”, a mountain retreat once used by senior Nazi officials, including Adolf Hitler.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has returned to the South American nation almost a year after she secretly left the country to travel to Norway for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
Riot police fired tear gas at protesters in France’s largest cities and more than 1,300 people were arrested during demonstrations against the rising cost of living on Saturday (24 October). Police also used a water cannon on a group of around 500 hooded youths in Paris, after the main rally ended.
Ukraine's military has been hit this month by restrictions on Starshield, the military version of SpaceX's Starlink satellite communications system. Its receivers stopped functioning when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones, jeopardising some combat and air defence missions.
At least five people were killed and several others injured in overnight attacks across Russia and Ukraine on Sunday, 25 October, as officials reported strikes on residential areas and industrial facilities, while Moscow claimed to have targeted logistics infrastructure and a cargo vessel.
Protests against war and rising living costs took place in major Italian cities on Saturday, with some incidents of violence and clashes, a week after unrest erupted across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment