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School gunman’s past revealed as death toll mounts

Eleven children among 15 dead in Russian school shooting

Updated: 5.30 am

A gunman who murdered staff and students at a school in Russia had a history of mental illness, police say.

Early Tuesday morning (Australian time), the death toll from the killing spree east of Moscow had risen to 15 and at least 20 people were in hospital.

The murderer was identified as 34-year-old Artyom Kazantsev, a former student at the school.

Kazantsev went to the School Number 88 in Izhevsk wearing all black, including a balaclava and a T-shirt emblazoned with a swastika symbol.

He opened fire on dozens of people before turning the gun on himself.

Authorities released a short video showing the gunman’s body lying on the floor of a classroom with overturned furniture and papers strewn on the floor.

Russia’s Investigative Committee told TASS news agency said 22 children and two adults were injured

“By this point, the investigators have determined that crime resulted in 39 victims, including 15 killed [11 children and 4 adults],” the Committee said.

The adult victims included teachers and security guards.

Tass news agency quoted investigators as saying the attacker was armed with two pistols and a large supply of ammunition.

Russia has had several school shootings in recent years.

In May 2021, a teenage gunman killed seven children and two adults in the city of Kazan.

In April 2022, an armed man killed two children and a teacher at a kindergarten in the central Ulyanovsk region before killing himself.

Lifeline 131 114

beyondblue 1300 224 636

-with AAP
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