SIMFEROPOL, October 17. /TASS/. A teen suspected of going on a shooting spree at Kerch Polytechnic College, opened fire after an initial explosion rocked the facility, Crimea’s Deputy Prime Minister Igor Mikhailichenko told TASS on Wednesday.

"The shooting broke out after the explosion," Mikhailichenko specified. "The gunman opened fire from a hunting rifle. The motives are still unknown and investigators are still working at the scene of the tragedy."

A fourth-year student from Kerch Polytechnic College launched a shooting spree on the institute’s premises on Wednesday afternoon and then committed suicide by shooting himself.

According to the National Anti-Terror Committee, 17 were killed. Conversely, Crimea Head Sergei Aksyonov has said that 18 people were killed and 47 more were injured.

The initial criminal case based on a terrorism charge has been re-qualified as murder.