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Criminal case opened over murder of TV anchorman in Nalchik

The killers shot down Kazbek Gekkiyev at about 21:00 Moscow time on Wednesday when he was on the way home after the evening news program

MOSCOW, December 6 (Itar-Tass) — The criminal case was opened over the murder of an anchorman of a regional division of the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company Kazbek Gekkiyev. The criminal case was opened under several articles of the Criminal Code for murder and illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage, transportation or carrying of weapons, the investigation department of the Russian Investigation Committee in Kabardino-Balkaria told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

The killers shot down Gekkiyev, 28, who worked in the daily news program News of Kabardino-Balkaria at about 21:00 Moscow time on Wednesday in Kirov Street, when he was on the way home after the evening news program. The journalist died of wounds instantaneously.

Spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee Markin noted that three gunshots were made in the man. The 9-mm cartridge shells were found at the murder scene.

“At the present moment it can be said that the main theory is linked with Gekkiyev’s professional activities and (the detectives) take this audacious crime as a threat against other journalists, who are reporting about the results of the struggle against the gangs, which are rampaging in the republic,” Markin noted.

“A telling detail that the suspects made sure before the murder that Gekkiyev is a journalist and an anchorman of a news program that just confirms the priority version of the detectives,” he explained.

“The detectives scheduled the scope of necessary expertises and the results of the ballistic expertise had already been achieved, according to which the gunshots in Gekkiyev were made from a converted gun of unidentified type,” Markin noted.

The Russian Investigation Committee dispatched the team of experienced criminal detectives from the central staff of the agency in Nalchik, the case files were submitted in the main investigation department of the Russian Investigation Committee in the North Caucasus Federal District.

Active investigative measures, which are aimed at finding and detaining the criminals, who committed this crime, are being taken.

The extremists have earlier threatened to kill two other anchormen of the VGTRK regional division and the directorate was to withdraw them from the live broadcasting.