- Tuesday, February 25, 2025
By: Shubham Ghosh
ALL Indian students at a medical university in the city of Perm in Russia (800 miles east of national capital Moscow) were unhurt, the country’s embassy in Russia said on Monday (20) after a gunman opened fire and killed at least eight people and left several injured.
The embassy took to Twitter to say, “Shocked at horrific attack at Perm State University in Russia; our deep condolences for loss of life and best wishes for early recovery of those injured.”
“Embassy is in touch with local authorities and representatives of Indian students. All Indian students at Perm State Medical University are safe,” it added.
Shocked at horrific attack at Perm State University in Russia; our deep condolences for loss of life and best wishes for early recovery of those injured. (1/2)
— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) September 20, 2021
Embassy is in touch with local authorities and representatives of Indian students. All Indian students at Perm State Medical University are safe. (2/2)@PMOIndia @narendramodi @DrSJaishankar @MEAIndia
— India in Russia (@IndEmbMoscow) September 20, 2021
A university spokesperson said the assassin was killed after the shootings. Natalia Pechishcheva said, “He was liquidated”, according to Reuters. However, the investigative committee which handles major crimes, said the killer was alive and undergoing treatment at a hospital.
The committee said earlier that the gunman was identified as an 18-year-old student at the university. He posted a picture of himself with a rifle, helmet and ammunition on social media.
“I have thought about this for a long time, it’s been years and I realised the time had come to do what I dreamt of,” he said on a social media account attributed to him, Reuters reported.
Media footage showed students jumping from the first floor through windows to escape the gunman and landing heavily on the ground before escaping. It was also reported that the students put up barricades of chairs to prevent the shooter from entering their classrooms.
This is the second instance of a gunman opening fire in a school. In May, a 19-year-old fired at his old school in the central Russian city of Kazan, killing nine people and injuring many. There have been instances of teenage students opening fire at educational institutions in various cities of Russia in the last few years as well.
Russia has raised the legal age of buying firearms from 18 to 21 after the Kazan shooting but the new law is yet to come into force.
Russian president Vladimir Putin offered condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the tragedy, AFP reported.
