YEKATERINBURG, May 30. A former police officer opened gunfire from the balcony of his apartment in Yekaterinburg, wounding a National Guard officer and a child, a source in the local law enforcement agencies told TASS on Sunday.
"According to preliminary data, gunfire was opened by a former police officer, supposedly from a hunting shotgun. He has not yet been detained," he source said, adding that the man may be drunk.
A girl and a National Guard officer were wounded. Law enforcers are being summoned to the site. A child was taken to hospital after the incident, a source told.
"Yes, an officer was wounded. A child was also hospitalized," the source said.
Yekaterinburg’s police have confirmed that a girl and a National Guard officer were wounded in shooting.
"Today, police received reports that gunshots were heard from an apartment bloc in Yekaterinburg. Police taskforce was sent to the site. The house was cordoned off. It was established that a resident of this house opened gunfire from the window of his apartment. As a result, a girl (she has been identified) and a National Guard officer were wounded. They are receiving medical assistance," Valery Gorelykh, a spokesman for the Sverdlovsk region police department, told TASS.
The girl who was wounded is in critical condition, the press service of the Sverdlovsk region health ministry told.
"The girl is in critical condition. She was taken to children’s hospital No. 9," it said.
According to a TASS correspondent, shooting continues. A National Guard’s rapid deployment taskforce has begun to storm the apartment, a source in the law enforcement agencies told TASS.
The house is being cordoned off and residents are being evacuated. The shooter has not advanced any demands.
More gunshots were heard from an apartment bloc in Yekaterinburg, a TASS correspondent reported from the site.
The house has been cordoned off.
A rapid deployment taskforce of Russia’s National Guard has begun to storm the apartment in a residential house.
"Officers of the rapid deployment task force entered the entrance lobby. Storming has begun," a source said.
"According to preliminary data, the man is in inadequate state. First, he was shouting and then opened gunfire," the source said, adding that police was verifying reports that before opening fire the man had sent messages to his friends warning that he was going to open gunfire and commit suicide.