A gunman opened fire from the rooftop of a multi-story building in the center of Murmansk, Russia, on Sunday evening. The Russian police and National Guard responded quickly. The attacker, who appeared to be acting alone, barricaded himself with barbed wire and began shooting randomly at buildings and police vehicles in the surrounding area.
According to local residents, the first shots were heard around 22:00 local time. Eyewitnesses reported that the shooter fired at windows and police patrols before the area was cordoned off.
Special units and National Guard teams arrived at the scene shortly after. The Governor of the Murmansk region, Andrei Chibis, advised residents to turn off their lights and stay away from windows.
Videos, shared by the police and circulating on social media, show the incident as it unfolded, with sporadic shots ringing out in the streets.
One video appears to show the suspect on the rooftop, armed with two rifles.
The gunman was eventually “neutralized” after security forces stormed the rooftop, according to a statement by the regional National Guard. The official footage shows officers in full protective gear cutting through barbed wire as they approach the suspect’s position.
According to TASS, there were no civilian or law enforcement casualties. The suspect, reportedly shot and wounded by a police sharpshooter, was the only fatality.
The motive of the shooter remains unclear. According to investigators, the incident began when the suspect opened fire on a police patrol car. The man, who was identified as a 44-year-old local resident, did not make any demands before the attack, according to the Telegram channel Mash.
The suspect was identified as a 44-year-old local resident who acted alone. The Russian Investigative Committee has launched a criminal investigation and is treating the incident as an attempted murder of police officers.
The shooting occurred just days after the International Arctic Forum took place in Murmansk, which was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In his keynote speech, Putin emphasized the strategic importance of the Arctic region and outlined plans for infrastructure and development in Russia’s northern regions.