Case file
Kazan school shooting
On the morning of 11 May 2021, a school shooting and bombing occurred at Gymnasium No. 175 in Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia. The school had 714 students and 70 staff present. Ilnaz Galyaviev, a 19-year-old former student of the school, was stopped at the main entrance by a card-access security system. When a school worker tried to prevent him from entering, he opened fire. The wounded worker triggered a panic alarm at 9:25 a.m., which allowed teachers to lock down classrooms via a radio announcement.
Galyaviev moved through the building, shooting in hallways and killing a teacher on the ground floor, before detonating an improvised explosive device near a first-floor classroom. He then killed a second teacher on the second floor, fired at students on a playground from a classroom window, and entered a third-floor classroom where he killed seven eighth-grade students. Approximately 30 shots were fired in total. He ran out of ammunition and was attempting to leave when law enforcement arrived at 9:33 a.m.; the school was evacuated within twenty minutes. In total, nine people were killed — two teachers (Venera Aizatova and Elvira Ignatyeva) and seven students — and 23 others, including students aged 7 to 15 and three adults, were injured. Some of the wounded were airlifted to Moscow for treatment.
Galyaviev had graduated from the same school in 2017 and had recently been expelled from a Kazan management college. He had no prior criminal record but had reportedly sought treatment for headaches and was diagnosed with encephalopathy in 2020; he denied having serious illness in court. In the months before the attack he obtained a hunting and gun license, purchased a shotgun and ammunition, and built explosive devices in his apartment using instructions found online. On the morning of the attack he posted a photo of himself in a mask reading "GOD," with a caption stating an intent to kill and then shoot himself.
On 12 May 2021, Galyaviev pleaded guilty to the murder of two or more people under Article 105, Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code. He underwent two forensic psychiatric examinations with conflicting findings; the second found him sane at the time of the offense and diagnosed him with a schizoid personality disorder. In December 2021 he was formally charged on four counts, including murder committed in a generally dangerous way, attempted murder, manufacture and storage of an explosive device, and intentional damage to property. His trial began in November 2022, and investigators concluded no other persons had assisted him. On 13 April 2023, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in a special-regime penal colony. In January 2025, bailiffs began collecting 23 million rubles from Galyaviev to settle victims' claims.
The attack prompted Russian officials, including President Vladimir Putin, to call for tightened gun-control laws, including proposals to raise the minimum age for firearm licenses to 21 and introduce mandatory psychological testing for gun permits.
Key facts
- Victims
- Elvira Ignatyeva, Venera Aizatova, Amir Volkov, Damir Gainutdinov, Alisa Garifullina, Ilziya Nagimullina, Amir Shaikhutdinov, Zulfiya Galimzyanova, Amir Zaripov
- Date
- 2021
- Location
- Gymnasium No. 175, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
2017
Ilnaz Galyaviev graduates from Gymnasium No. 175 in Kazan.
2020
Galyaviev is diagnosed with encephalopathy after seeking medical help for headaches.
2021-02
Galyaviev decides to commit mass murder and begins preparations, including taking a weapons-handling course.
2021-04
Galyaviev is expelled from TISBI management college in Kazan for missing an exam; he receives a gun license on April 14 and purchases a shotgun and ammunition on April 16.
2021-05-05
Galyaviev travels to test his shotgun near the village of Voronovka but decides not to fire it.
2021-05-06
A public holiday declared by President Putin closes the school, delaying Galyaviev's planned attack.
2021-05-11
Galyaviev carries out a shooting and bombing at Gymnasium No. 175 in Kazan, killing nine people and injuring 23 others; he is detained by law enforcement.
2021-05-12
Galyaviev pleads guilty in court to the murder of two or more persons; a day of mourning is declared in the region.
2021-07-21
Media reports that Galyaviev was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and declared insane, which the Investigative Committee of Russia disputes.
2021-11-16
A second psychiatric examination finds Galyaviev sane at the time of the crime, diagnosing him with schizoid personality disorder.
2021-12-09
Galyaviev is formally charged under four articles of the Russian Criminal Code.
2022-11-09
The trial of Ilnaz Galyaviev begins.
2023-04-13
Galyaviev is sentenced to life imprisonment in a special regime colony.
2025-01
Bailiffs begin collecting 23 million rubles from Galyaviev to settle victims' claims.
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People
Elvira Ignatyeva
VICTIMEnglish teacher, aged 26, killed on the second floor.
Venera Aizatova
VICTIMPrimary school teacher, aged 55, killed on the ground floor.
Amir Volkov
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 15, killed on the third floor.
Damir Gainutdinov
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 14, killed on the third floor.
Ilnaz Galyaviev
CONVICTED19-year-old former student convicted of the shooting and bombing; pleaded guilty to murder of two or more people and was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2023.
Alisa Garifullina
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 15, killed on the third floor.
Ilziya Nagimullina
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 14, killed on the third floor.
Amir Shaikhutdinov
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 14, killed on the third floor.
Zulfiya Galimzyanova
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 15, killed on the third floor.
Amir Zaripov
VICTIMEighth-grade student, aged 14, killed on the third floor.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
archival location
Kazan school attack
Credit: Mikhail Frolov · CC BY 4.0 · Source
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Ilnaz Galyaviev f000
Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Source
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Posle strelby v Kazani
Credit: http://deti.gov.ru · CC BY 4.0 · Source
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Ilnaz Galyaviev f000 (cropped)
Credit: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 04
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 102
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 105
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 62
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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Гимназия 175 (Казань) 23
Credit: Пресс-служба президента Татарстана · CC BY 4.0 · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 76
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
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After Kazan school attack (2021-05-12) 111
Credit: Engelberthumperdink · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- On 11 May 2021, a former student opened fire and detonated an improvised explosive device at Gymnasium No. 175 in Kazan, Russia, killing seven eighth-grade students and two teachers and injuring 23 others.
- Where did the shooting happen?
- Gymnasium No. 175, Kazan, Tatarstan, Russia.
- Who was convicted?
- Ilnaz Galyaviev (19-year-old former student convicted of the shooting and bombing; pleaded guilty to murder of two or more people and was sentenced to life imprisonment in April 2023.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved. Last verified July 2026.
Related cases
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Sources
- Kazan school shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
- Contemporaneous coverage — BBC Newsnews · BBC News · 2026-07-07
- Contemporaneous coverage — NPRnews · NPR · 2026-07-07
Last verified JUL 2026