Five people were killed, including the gunman and several others were injured after a gunman opened fire on people leaving a church service in Russia’s Dagestan region. The shooting occurred outside a church in the town of Kizlyar on Sunday Feb. 18, 2018.
The Mayor Alexander Shuvalov explained, “People were leaving a church after an evening service when he opened gunfire at them.” Two police officers and a woman were among the wounded, according to Shuvalov.
An eyewitness posted a video of the shooting on Twitter, which captured the moment shots were being fired.
The Church parishioners were celebrating the end of the Russian festival of Maslenitsa, which marks the start of Lent for Russian Orthodox Christians, according to RT.
An eyewitness to the shooting, Oksana, told RT, “There were a lot of people there, moms with little children, elderly people. I believe God saved us, not allowing the man to get inside the church.” (Source: TASS and RT)
Update: Sky News reports: The gunman was armed with a hunting rifle and charged towards the church shouting "Allahu Akbar", the Arabic phrase meaning "God is Great", according to Father Pavel, the priest who had delivered the service.
Update: Sky News reports: The gunman was armed with a hunting rifle and charged towards the church shouting "Allahu Akbar", the Arabic phrase meaning "God is Great", according to Father Pavel, the priest who had delivered the service.
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