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Russia: 11, including kids, killed in school shooting; 19-year-old 'terrorist' held

Russia's TASS news agency reported at least 32 people have been injured

Kazan shooting reuters Security personnel outside the school in Kazan | Reuters

Reuters reported at least 11 people have been killed and several more injured in a shooting at a school in the city of Kazan in Russia's Tatarstan province on Tuesday.

Russia's TASS news agency reported at least 32 people have been injured.

Reuters quoted Russia's official news agency RIA as saying one or more gunmen opened fire at the school. Some Russian agencies claimed two gunmen, who were teenagers, were involved.

"RIA said one 19-year-old gunman had been detained and that an explosion had been heard at the school. Footage posted on social media showed a young man being pinned to the ground outside the school building by a police officer," Reuters reported.

Associated Press quoted Tatarstan Governor Rustam Minnikhanov as saying seven of the dead, four boys and three girls, were eight-grade students. His press service said a teacher was also killed.

“The terrorist has been arrested, (he is) 19 years old. A firearm is registered in his name. Other accomplices haven’t been established; an investigation is under way,” Minnikhanov was quoted as saying by Associated Press.

"Two children could be seen leaping from the third floor of the four-storey School Number 175 as gunshots sounded," Reuters reported, showing the terrifying nature of the incident.

TASS reported the shooting began at 9.20am (local time) when "there were 714 children and about 70 employees at the school, including 52 teachers".

Tatarstan is a Muslim-majority region in Russia. In 2018, a college student in Crimea opened fire in his college and killed 19 before turning the gun on himself.

Russian President Vladimir Putin condoled the deaths and ordered revision of gun regulations. The Russian government sent a plane with doctors and medical equipment to Kazan, Associated Press reported.

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