Blagoveshchensk college shooting

2019 shooting in Amur College, Russia

Amur college shooting

Location| Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia
Date| 14 November 2019
approximately 10:16

Attack type

| Mass shooting, school shooting, murder-suicide
Weapons| 12-gauge IZh-81 pump-action shotgun[1]
Deaths| 2 (including the perpetrator)
Injured| 3
Perpetrator| Daniil Zasorin

On 14 November 2019, a shooting occurred at the Amur College of Construction and Housing and Utilities in Blagoveshchensk, Amur Oblast, Russia. One student was killed and three others were injured. The attacker committed suicide.[2][3][4][5]

## Events

[edit]

On 14 November 2019, at approximately 10:16 a.m. local time, student Daniil Zasorin arrived late to class, causing the instructor to ask him to leave the classroom. He went out, however, after a while he returned, hiding the weapon under his outer clothing. The student started smoking in the corridor of the educational institution, and when he was reprimanded - took out a five-shot (4+1) shotgun IZh-81 and opened fire. Eyewitnesses to the incident rushed to the street, where at the time patrolled the area traffic police officers. Arriving at the scene of the shooting, the police saw a young man with a shotgun on the second floor. The latter fired several times in the direction of the law enforcers. The police returned fire, wounding the assailant in the thigh, as well as in the left and right shoulder.[6][7] By blocking the gunman in one of the classrooms, students and faculty members were allowed to leave the college.

Subsequently, the shooter committed suicide.[8]

The preliminary cause of the events in the Department of Internal Affairs of Russia in the Amur region was a conflict between peers.[9]

## Legal proceedings

[edit]

The Investigative Committee of the Amur Region initiated a criminal case on the fact of the incident on the grounds of a crime under parts “a”, “i”, part 2, article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder of two persons committed out of hooliganism. “a, i, part 2, article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (murder of two persons committed out of hooliganism). Alexander Bastrykin instructed to check the organization of the security system in the educational institution as part of the investigation, as well as to assess the actions of all college officials and to establish the reasons that contributed to the commission of the crime by the student.

A criminal case was opened against the employees of the private security organization "Sirius-A" on the grounds of a crime under part 3 of article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (performance of work or provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more persons by negligence). Criminal proceedings were also initiated against officials of the educational institution on the grounds of a crime under part 2 of article 293 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (negligence, i.e. improper performance by an official of his duties, resulting in the death of a person by negligence).[10]

Oleg Ermolov, an employee of the private security organization Sirius-A, who was guarding the educational building, and the director of the security firm, Sergei Andryushchenko, were arrested (until 14 January).[11][12] On 30 September 2022, the Blagoveshchensk City Court sentenced both defendants to a fine of 400 thousand rubles and released them from punishment, counting the time they spent in custody and under house arrest, and ordered them to pay 20 thousand rubles each to the three victims and 200 thousand rubles to the mother of the deceased student as compensation for moral harm.[13]

## Perpetrator

[edit]

Daniil Zasorin

The college shooting was opened by a 19-year-old student of the institution, Daniil Viktorovich Zasorin[14] (Russian: Даниил Викторович Засорин, born on 12 August 2000), he grew up in a complete family consisting of his mother, stepfather, and younger brother. According to reports from the shooter's acquaintances, Daniil had a calm and balanced character, and planned to become a programmer in the future. His stepfather allowed Daniil to buy a shotgun because he intended to go hunting with him.[15]

According to Deputy Prosecutor General Igor Tkachev, the staff of the draft board in Blagoveshchensk knew about the student's suicidal tendencies, but according to the current instructions could not report it to the college.[16]

The attacker's suicide video uploaded to YouTube was discovered online, in which he discussed his past and said that no one who would be “blamed on TV” could have prevented the incident.[7]

## Aftermath

[edit]

The case of the shooting at an educational institution has re-raised the issue of inadequate security and public access to firearms. The case of the shooting at Amur College is no exception.[17][18]

The college was taken into protective custody by Rosgvardiya officers.[19] There were proposals to transfer all higher and secondary educational institutions to departmental security. However, later a contract for security services was concluded with the PSC “Rosbezopasnost".[20]

College director Viktor Petukhov was dismissed «...For improper performance of his official duties in terms of organizing safe conditions of the educational institution». Oleg Yakutov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Priamurye region, resigned at his own request.[21]

The families of the victims of the incident received compensation from the reserve fund of the government of the Amur region, totaling about 2.5 million rubles.[22]

As a result of the incident, since 19 November 2019 all educational institutions in the region:[23]

* tightened access control;
* security of institutions has been tightened;
* the need for additional equipment was identified;
* preparations for the introduction of the tutoring system have begun .

Checks are being carried out on the operability of the systems:[23]

* security alarm system;
* fire alarm system;
* video surveillance;
* notification.

## See also

[edit]

Some other school shooting incidents in Russia:

* 2023 Bryansk school shooting
* 2022 Izhevsk school shooting
* 2022 Veshkayma kindergarten shooting
* 2021 Perm State University shooting
* 2021 Kazan school bombing and shooting
* 2018 Kerch Polytechnic College bombing and shooting
* 2018 Barabinsk college shooting
* 2014 Moscow school shooting and hostage taking
* 1997 Kamyshin military school shooting

Also:

* List of school shootings in Russia
* List of mass shootings in Russia
* List of attacks related to post-secondary schools
* List of school massacres by death toll

## References

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1. ^ "Two die in school shooting in Russia's Far East". Meduza. 14 November 2019.
2. ^ "Shooter Kills One, Wounds Three In Russian Far East College". Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
3. ^ "Two die in school shooting in Russia's Far East". Meduza. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
4. ^ Сидорчик, Андрей (15 November 2019). "Стрельба в колледже. Шесть ответов на вопросы о трагедии в Благовещенске". AiF (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
5. ^ Stewart, Will (14 November 2019). "Rampaging gunman kills student and wounds three in horror college shooting". The Mirror. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
6. ^ "Вскрылись подробности бойни стрелка из Благовещенска с полицией" [Details of Blagoveshchensk shooter's massacre with police revealed]. www.mk.ru (in Russian). 15 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
7. ^ a b "Расстрелявший одногруппников студент оставил аудиопослание" [Student who shot classmates leaves audio message]. versia.ru (in Russian).
8. ^ "Стрельба в Благовещенске: хронология событий".
9. ^ "Стала известна вероятная причина стрельбы в колледже в Благовещенске". Стала известна вероятная причина стрельбы в колледже в Благовещенске (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
10. ^ "Новости - Следственный комитет Российской Федерации". sledcom.ru. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
11. ^ "Охранник колледжа в Благовещенске задержан после стрельбы" [Blagoveshchensk College Security Guard Detained After Shooting]. iz.ru. 14 November 2019.
12. ^ "СК возбудил третье уголовное дело по факту стрельбы в колледже в Благовещенске" [The Investigative Committee has opened a third criminal case in connection with the shooting at a college in Blagoveshchensk]. TASS (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
13. ^ ""Это безусловная победа": адвокат обвиняемого по делу о стрельбе в Амурском колледже рассказал о вынесенном приговоре". www.amur.life (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
14. ^ "Росгвардия ужесточит меры по приобретению оружия" [Rosgvardia to tighten measures for acquiring weapons]. VistaNews.ru. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
15. ^ "Как работающим, так и неработающим: пенсионеры могут оформить льготы за стаж 20 лет » Информационно аналитический портал "SMOTRI.KG"". Информационно аналитический портал «SMOTRI.KG» (in Russian). 4 September 2024. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
16. ^ "В прокуратуре заявили о склонности стрелка из Благовещенска к суициду".
17. ^ "Эксперт о расстреле в Благовещенске: "Безопасность в школах катастрофически низкая"". www.mk.ru (in Russian). 14 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
18. ^ Колесникова, Ирина (14 November 2019). "Эксперты о "благовещенском стрелке": В России не ограничивают доступ неадекватов к оружию". radiokp.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 13 November 2024.
19. ^ Новосельцева, Ольга (20 November 2019). "Благовещенский колледж, в котором произошла стрельба, будет охранять Росгвардия". kp.ru (in Russian).
20. ^ ""Из моего папы просто сделали козла отпущения!" Охранника колледжа, где студент устроил стрельбу, отправили за решетку". Сибирь.Реалии (in Russian). 24 December 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
21. ^ "В Приамурье подтвердили увольнения после стрельбы в благовещенском колледже" [In the Amur Region, dismissals were confirmed after the shooting at the Blagoveshchensk College]. ria.ru. 20 November 2019.
22. ^ "Власти отчитались о выплатах пострадавшим при стрельбе в Благовещенске" [Authorities report on payments to victims of shooting in Blagoveshchensk]. РБК (in Russian). 21 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.
23. ^ a b "В Приамурье проверят владельцев оружия среди студентов" [In the Amur Region, gun owners among students will be checked]. РБК (in Russian). 19 November 2019. Retrieved 13 November 2024.