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Russian Pensioner Fatally Shoots Drug-Addict Son in Chest

A Siberian pensioner killed his drug-addicted son with a shotgun after becoming fed up with his inability to kick the habit, the LifeNews tabloid reported Tuesday.

Valery Maslovsky, 64, turned the weapon on his son at the family home in Omsk after an argument Monday that saw the latter ask his father to sell the property, the report said.

Maslovsky suspected his son would use the money from selling the property to fund his drug addiction and told him he would only put up the house for sale if he went clean, LifeNews reported, noting the two had previously clashed over the drug use.

Following the argument, Maslovsky apparently returned to his room where he loaded his shotgun. After some deliberation, he emerged at about 5 a.m., woke his son up and shot him in the chest before turning the weapon on his daughter-in-law, LifeNews reported.

The son died instantly, and his wife was rushed to hospital in a critical condition, the report said.

Maslovsky was detained by police after the shooting and said he had killed his son because he was tired of trying to persuade him to get treatment for his addiction, LifeNews reported.

A shortfall of state-run rehab centers in Russia makes it hard for the country's estimated 8 million addicts — most of whom are aged under 35 — to get the treatment they need.

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