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Russian Investigative Committee says some of Kratovo shooter’s weapons come from Chechnya

The shooter had possessed a large number of munitions, hand grenades, smoothbore weapons and a Mauser pistol. The weapons that he used during the incident were old-type

MOSCOW, June 11. /TASS/. Russia’s Investigative Committee has made public the first results of the investigation into the shooting incident which occurred in the Kratovo settlement located in the Ramensky District of the Moscow Region. According to the Investigative Committee Spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko, the shooter did not participate in military activities in Chechnya but he did bring some of his weapons from there.

"Investigators have identified the criminal as Igor Zenkov, born in 1967," she said. "From 1992 to 2014, he was a maintenance technician at the Emergencies Ministry’s engineering service. Over this period, he several times went on missions to hot spots but never participated in military activities," Petrenko added.

The weapons that he used during the incident were old-type. "He brought some of the weapons from Chechnya, while some were homemade. Zenkov did not have a license to possess firearms," the Investigative Committee’s spokesperson pointed out. After examining the scene and questioning witnesses, investigators came to the conclusion that the shooter had possessed a large number of munitions, hand grenades, smoothbore weapons and a Mauser pistol.

Investigators have also figured out how the incident developed. "On June 10, Zenkov opened fire on a neighbor and then set his own barn on fire. He also fired shots at a man and a woman who were passing by and tried to help combat the fire," Petrenko said. The woman died later in hospital. After that, he shot down another two of his neighbors.

According to the Investigative Committee’s spokesperson, investigators continue examining the scene and looking for evidence. "Taking into consideration the fact that Zenkov lived with his mother who was seriously ill and unable to move, investigators assume that she could have died," Petrenko said adding that investigators would be able to confirm this only after the fire in the house was fully extinguished.

Criminal statistics

A law enforcement source told TASS that the number of crimes involving firearms in Russia had increased by one-third in the past five years. "In 2008-2011, the number of crimes involving firearms was decreasing (from 4,440 to 3,818), but since 2011, it started to grow," the source said. In 2015, as many as 5,400 crimes of this kind were committed.

In 2016, a total of 4,992 such crimes were recorded, which is 30% more than in 2011.

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