15 Dead, 24 Wounded in School Shooting in Russia
SnopesDec 24, 2022
The Facts
At least 15 people, including 11 children, were killed in a school shooting in Izhevsk, a city about 600 miles from Moscow, on Monday. At least 24 people were injured in what was one of Russia’s most deadly school shootings ever.
Details on the gunman’s identity and motive are emerging. Russian officials named Artem Kazantsev - an alumnus of the school - as the shooter.
The Spin
Narrative A
This tragic shooting was an isolated act of terrorism by a single actor who was very likely motivated by neo-Nazi ideology. More details will undoubtedly emerge as the investigation unfolds.
Narrative B
This appears to be a systemic, rather than an isolated problem. Once rare, school shootings in Russia have increased in recent years, including a tragic incident in Russian-occupied Crimea in 2018. Russian authorities would be wise to investigate why there’s been an uptick in this type of violence rather than viewing this shooting as an outlier.
