While such tragic incidents have been occurring repeatedly in schools across the United States, the October 17 tragedy became the largest mass shooting at a Russian school in recent history, leading some to quickly label it the “Kerch Columbine” (a reference to the Colorado high school where a mass shooting took place in 1999). In total, Roslyakov killed 21 people and injured more than 40 ( Novaya Gazeta, October 17). Following his rampage, Roslyakov committed suicide, shooting himself with the same weapon he had used to carry out the assault. Roslyakov had planned the assault so that an explosion would go off at the same time, thus adding to the casualty rate as well as confusion. In the wake of the attack, Crimean authorities closed all educational facilities, declared a state of emergency in Kerch and announced three days of mourning.On October 17, 18-year-old student Vladislav Roslyakov walked into his polytechnic school in the Russian-occupied Crimean town of Kerch, ascended to the second floor of the building and opened fire from a rifle. Initially, Crimean officials even pointed a finger of blame at Ukraine, an explanation that always appeared far-fetched. It is notable as the start point of Russia's bridge that connects annexed Crimea to the mainland, and sits at the opening of the Azov sea, which has been a source of tensions between Russia and Ukraine. Kerch is a port town on the disputed Crimean peninsula. The local hospital also experienced a shortage of medical staff, and had appealed to medical students to come in to assist. Journalists reported there were not enough dedicated medical transport vehicles. Images showed bodies carried on stretchers to ambulances, trucks and other public transport vehicles. Like Beslan, footage from the college depicted a chaotic rescue scene. She likened the incident to the 2004 terrorist attack in Beslan, when armed men took over 1,000 people hostage, and 334 people died. In a video recorded by local media, school director Grebennikova said she believed she would have died had she remained inside.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |