A Russian high school student reportedly injured at least four people during a school rampage Tuesday in which he assaulted his teacher with an ax, shot an air gun and flung smoke grenades at fellow students, officials said.
The student, identified only as 15-year-old "Mikhail," allegedly came to the Ivanteyevka school near Moscow armed with a kitchen ax, homemade firecrackers and an air gun, RT reported.
Mikhail reportedly attacked his science and math teacher with the ax, hitting her on the head before using an air gun to shoot the teacher. At least three students were injured after leaping from windows to escape the attack, authorities said.
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“A 15-year-old student attacked an IT teacher...with a kitchen ax and hit her on the head. Then the teenager started detonating homemade firecrackers and shooting with an air gun,” a Russian prosecutor told RT.
Russian police confirmed four people were injured, including a teacher who was reportedly in serious condition. The attacker has been arrested and taken into custody for questioning. His motive was not immediately clear.
“I heard shots, sounds of firecrackers. We escaped via emergency exits. There was smoke everywhere. I heard shouting,” an unidentified student told RT.
The student described the assailant as “introverted.”
“Everyone says that he was strange. Some say that he had wanted to do this for a long time. But everyone thought he was joking,” a student told RT.
Russian media reported that Mikhail’s social media page had references to Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the two teenagers who carried out the 1999 Columbine High School massacre. His page reportedly had numerous photos of firearms and he allegedly “adopted” Klebold’s last name, according to RT.
The school announced that it canceled classes for the day and would resume Wednesday.