Russia: 8 killed in shooting incident at Perm State University

Moscow - Videos circulating on social media showed students throwing belongings from windows before jumping to flee the shooter.

A student opened fire on a university campus in central Russia on Monday killing at least eight people, investigators said, in the second mass shooting at an education facility this year.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said several people were also injured in the attack at Perm State University and that the suspect had been wounded while being detained.

Investigators previously said that five people were killed and another six wounded.

Russia has relatively few school shootings due to normally tight security in education facilities and because of difficulty of buying firearms legally, although it is possible to register hunting rifles.

Videos circulating on social media showed students throwing belongings from windows from buildings on campus before jumping to flee the shooter.

State media played amateur footage reportedly taken during the attack showing an individual dressed in black tactical clothing, including a helmet, carrying a weapon and walking through the campus.

The last such deadly attack took place in May 2021, when a 19-year-old gunman opened fire in his old school in the central Russian city of Kazan, killing nine people.

Investigators said that man suffered from a brain disorder. But he was deemed fit to receive a license for the semi-automatic shotgun he used in the attack.

On the day of that attack — one of the worst in recent Russian history — President Vladimir Putin called for a review of gun control laws.

Authorities have claimed that young Russians are being increasingly exposed to negative influences online.