A gunman opened fire in an Orthodox church in Russia's Far East, killing two and injuring six people, the local church authority said on its website Sunday.
The man broke into the Cathedral of the Resurrection in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, on Sakhalin Island, at around 7 a.m. Moscow time (3 a.m. GMT), and fired several shots, killing a nun and a worshiper.
Others have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds in the legs, but their lives are not under threat, archbishop Tikhon said.
The attacker, was detained after the shooting at the scene by police. His motive is not yet known. An investigation is ongoing.
Russia's Investigative Committee said Sunday the attacker, in his 20s, was a guard at a local agency. He faces life in prison if convicted. The suspect will undergo a mental evaluation.
The cathedral admits up to 450 people.
The shooting comes days after a teenager killed a teacher and a policeman in his school in Moscow.