College shooting kills one, injures four in the Far East of Russia

Two injured students are reported to be in grave condition after morning attack at the Amur College of Construction, Housing Maintenance and Utilities in the centre of Blagoveshchensk.

The young man identified by Russian police as Daniil Zasorin opened fire from Izh-81 pump-action shotgun at fellow students, and later at police officers who tried to stop him. 

Student Alexey Golubichniy, 19, was initially reported to be killed in the attack, but later local media and Russian Ministry of Health corrected the reports saying he was alive.

Golubichniy’s friend named Kirill said: 'He wasn't killed, he was gravely wounded and went through a surgery. When the attacker ran inside the room, Alexey refused to run away and said that the wasn’t scared.’

Zasorin refused to stop and opened fire at traffic policeman, who fired back and wounded the gunman. The attacker who by then was inside the classroom turned the gun at himself. Pictures: Amurskaya Pravda 

Three other male students confirmed as wounded were identified as Kasiyan Kamanets, 19, Igor Stasyuk, 17 and Vladislav Rozhkov, 20.

They were rushed to hospital with neck and back injuries.

Zasorin was reported to carry a gun in a bag past the college security man, and assembled it in a bathroom before walking upstairs to his class room. 

He pushed a young female teacher out of the class, shut the door and opened fire.  

As other students fled the building in panic, one of them managed to report the attack to a nearby traffic police patrol. 

Zasorin refused to stop and opened fire at traffic policeman, who shot back and wounded the gunman.

The attacker who by then was inside the classroom turned the gun at himself. 

College shooting kills one, injures four in the Far East of Russia. Picture: Amurskaya Pravda

The tragedy was reportedly caused by Zasorin’s conflict with groupmates. 

He was described as ‘quiet and peaceful’ by fellow students.  

‘The attacker was acting along, he is dead. My deepest condolences to relatives of everyone wounded and killed, their families will be given support and help’ said Vasily Orlov, acting governor of the Amur region. 

Criminal investigation was launched into the circumstances of the attack, with several investigators flying to Amur region from Moscow at the order of Head of Russian Investigative Committee Alexander Bastrykin.