A central bank employee in Russia's Far East Amur region went on a shooting spree Tuesday, shooting dead three of his colleagues before killing himself, state news agency Interfax reported Tuesday.
The man, identified by Russian media as Vladimir Lyovkin, deputy head of the regional branch of the central bank, had been fired from his job the day before, Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper reported Tuesday. Local media outlet Amur.info reported that he had been either fired or relegated to a lower position as the result of a recent staff reshuffle.
"Two women and one man are among the victims of the central bank's regional deputy head. One of them was also a deputy head, another was head of the branch and the third was head of a department," Interfax cited a regional Investigative Committee spokesperson as saying.
After shooting dead his colleagues with a rifle, Lyovkin blew himself up with a grenade, Komsomolskaya Pravda reported.
The central bank's first deputy chairman, Georgy Luntovsky, described the incident as "a terrible tragedy," state news agency TASS reported.
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.