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shooting in Perm State University Russia | abcupdates | abc updates | abc update
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What happened
On the morning of 20 September 2021, Timur Bekmansurov, an 18-year-old law student at Perm State University (PGNIU) in Perm, Perm Krai, Russia, carried out a mass shooting on the university campus. Bekmansurov left his residence around 10:30 a.m., carrying a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, ammunition, a military helmet, and a knife. He was dropped off near the campus and, at approximately 11:27 a.m., began shooting at a passing car, a railway employee, and students near the university's checkpoint before entering campus buildings.
Over the following minutes, Bekmansurov moved through Buildings 8 and 6, fatally shooting several people at close range after they had already sustained wounds, including two students who had just left a restroom, a woman visiting with her grandson, a former student who had come to collect her diploma, and a current student. A ninth victim, a physics student, was killed outside the buildings. In total, six people were killed and 40 others injured, including 23 wounded by gunfire. During the attack, a manifesto and photograph were automatically posted to Bekmansurov's VK social media account.
The shooting ended when police officer Konstantin Kalinin confronted Bekmansurov inside Building 6. After Bekmansurov fired at and missed Kalinin, the officer fired eight rounds, hitting him six times. Bekmansurov was taken into custody and hospitalized; he later required a partial leg amputation due to a blood clot.
Investigators reported that Bekmansurov legally owned the shotgun for hunting purposes. A psychiatric evaluation diagnosed him with schizoid personality disorder but found him legally sane at the time of the offense. He was charged under multiple articles of the Russian Criminal Code, including murder of two or more persons, attempted murder, and offenses against a law enforcement officer. Bekmansurov admitted guilt in court and expressed remorse, but the prosecution sought a life sentence. On 28 December 2022, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. An appeal to the Russian Supreme Court, in which he argued he had been insane, was rejected on 7 May 2024, upholding the verdict.
The university, students, and residents created a makeshift memorial at the campus fence following the attack. A memorial cross was later erected on campus, and a chapel commemorating the victims was opened in November 2024, drawing some opposition from students and staff. The attack occurred four months after a school shooting in Kazan and contributed to public debate in Russia over gun-control laws and school security measures, though a law raising the minimum gun-purchase age had not yet taken effect at the time of the shooting.
