Three Killed In Russian Prosecutor's Office Attack

7 February 2005 -- Russian authorities say a former employee in the prosecutor's office in the Pacific port of city of Vladivostok walked into the prosecutor's office there today and killed three employees, two of them women, before killing himself.

Russian Deputy Prosecutor-General Konstantin Chaika said in Moscow the motive for the killings was revenge.

The motive [for the assault] is revenge, as the prosecutor's office of the Leninskii Raion [in Vladivostok] had completed a criminal investigation against this person for assault and battery and sent it to court. There are no other motives," Chaika said.

The victims were all involved in the case against their assailant, described as a 25-year-old man accused of hooliganism.

Officials in Vladivostok said the attacker had demanded prosecutors close the case against him and when they refused he opened fire.

(AP/dpa)