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.
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