Police and Federal Security Service officers have jointly detained a man who left a rifle in a locker in the Moscow region shopping mall, which he is suspected of using to shoot four people.
Moscow region police detained the man after workers at a store in Khmiki, just north of Moscow, discovered a rifle and a hundred bullets in a locker, RIA Novosti reported Sunday, citing a police representative.
The detained man is suspected of involvement in the shooting death of four workers who were found in burnt down service rooms оn the street Syezzhinsky Pereulok outside Moscow's Ploshchad Ilyicha metro station the night of Jan. 26, the representative said.
The rifle, a short version of the Kalashnikov model, and 111 bullets were discovered in two lockers at the IKEA in Khimki by a female manager of the store on Tuesday, NTV television reported.
IKEA's surveillance cameras recorded a video in which three unidentified men approach the lockers, and two of them put the rifle and the bullets into the lockers while the third one looked out, the television station said.
The Moscow branch of the Investigative Committee reported on Monday about the four bodies found in burnt down service rooms in Syezzhinsky Pereulok, but on Thursday investigators changed the address to nearby Andronyevskaya Ploshchad, saying the bodies bore signs of violent death, including injuries to their limbs, torsos and heads.
Investigators found that the doors of the burnt service rooms were intentionally blocked with some objects on the outside, making it impossible for the workers to get out and survive, NTV reported last Monday.
The Investigative Committee said that the men died from gunshot wounds and other injuries "of a criminal character."
Investigators have opened a criminal case on murder charges, which carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.
