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5 Slain in Belgorod Shooting Spree (Video)

A YouTube video from the crime scene shows a covered body located some distance from the Okhota store.

An unknown attacker went on a shooting spree in downtown Belgorod on Monday, killing at least five people, including a 14-year-old girl, and police have warned residents to stay indoors while the search for the suspect continues.

The tragedy unfolded around 2 p.m. when "unknown persons opened fire at random" in and around the Okhota hunting store, Interfax reported, citing investigators.

According to preliminary information, an attacker entered the store and fired shots at the sales staff, killing three. He then went out onto the street, killing two more and injuring a third.

"Among the bystanders killed in the incident is a 14-year-old girl who was a seventh grader at one of the local schools," said a spokesman for the Investigative Committee, Interfax reported.

A YouTube video from the scene shows a body covered with a light-blue plastic wrap and lying on the ground some distance from the Okhota store, which has a dark-blue facade and stands in a row of shops. The street is filled with dozens of people and vehicles.

The shooter arrived in a luxury BMW X5 car and later fled in it with a companion, who might have acted as the driver, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.

Police later found the car abandoned nearby and were inspecting it for evidence.

A citywide manhunt was under way for the attacker, who police say is believed to be heavily armed and who has previous convictions.

Investigators said the prime suspect was a local resident who had been released from prison last year. No further information on the suspect was immediately available.

Belgorod Governor Yevgeny Savchenko and Belgorod Mayor Sergei Bozhenov have visited the scene of the shootings, and the governor has promised to provide compensation to the families of those killed, Newsru.com reported.

Belgorod is a city of 356,402 people located just 40 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.

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