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Mourners Gather At Impromptu Memorial For Victims Of Russian School Shooting


A memorial service at the entrance of the university campus in Perm on September 21.
A memorial service at the entrance of the university campus in Perm on September 21.

Dozens of Russians have gathered at the edge of the campus of Perm State University to mourn the victims of a shooting spree a day earlier that left six people dead and more than 20 others injured.

Russia's Investigative Committee on September 21 continued its investigation into the rampage as mourners left flowers and lit candles at memorials just outside police cordons at the school.

The shooter, 18-year-old Timur Bekmansurov, a student at the school, remains in hospital after being seriously wounded during his apprehension.

The shooting is the second major attack by a gunman at a school in Russia in four months and underscores a rise in such attacks, which were once considered extremely rare in Russia.

Police said they still do not know why Bekmansurov, dressed in black tactical gear, walked onto the campus around 11:00 a.m. local time and entered a building before opening fire on his fellow classmates, some of whom jumped from second-story windows to escape.

One man and five women aged between 18 and 66 were killed in the shooting spree.

The university said about 3,000 people were on the campus at the time of the shooting.

Russian Science and Higher Education Minister Valery Falkov, who also laid flowers at an impromptu memorial at the main entrance to the university, said the condition of many of the injured is improving, while seven have been flown to Moscow, about 1,200 kilometers west of Perm, for further treatment.

Perm regional officials have declared September 21 as a day of mourning for the victims.

With reporting by TASS and AFP
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