Russia has some of the strictest gun laws of any country in the world. Handguns are banned except for police and military. A hunting rifle takes a 5+ year permit process, which includes a mental health screening but there are plenty of guns in Russia–just not the legal kind.
Today at 2pm local time in Belgorod, a city in southern Russia near the border with Ukraine, a lone gunman strode into the Okhota hunting store and began firing, killing 3 salespersons. He then shot several people outside including two young teenaged girls, 16 and 14 years of age, who died at the scene. Another woman was shot outside and died while being treated at the local hospital.
Police say they have identified the gunman as Sergei Pomazun, a 32 yearl old resident of Belgorod who had been released from prison in 2012 on a prior theft conviction. Unconfirmed reports say that the weapon used may have been a Kalashnikov-based semi-automatic 7.62 caliber Saiga carbine.The assailant fled in a BMW which he abandoned at an Auto Mall. Last reports say the police have the area surrounded by the gunman has not been captured. Authorities believe the shooting started as an attempted robbery.
(Photo: Twitter user @cityofgood31)
