Tajik President Emomali Rahmon today extended condolences to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the tragedy in Kerch Polytechnic College, according to the Tajik president’s official website.
In his message, Rahmon, in particular, noted that he was so sad to hear of what had happened at a vocational college in Kerch.
He also asked to convey his deep condolences to the families of the victims of the horrible Kerch college shooting and wished all of the wounded a speedy recovery.
At least 19 people were killed and almost 40 wounded in a shooting carried out by a student at the Kerch Polytechnic College on October 17.
An 18-year-old student ran through the Kerch Polytechnic College firing at fellow pupils before killing himself, Russian media reports say. The attacker was identified as Vladislav Roslyakov. Roslyakov, who carried a shotgun or rifle, killed himself at the site of the attack.
The motive behind the attack was not immediately made public, although reports in Russian media said he had told acquaintances he was angry at his teachers and wanted to “get revenge”.
Such school shootings are rare in Russia, in part because rifles and handguns are hard to acquire.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAC), a government body, said an “unidentified explosive device” had detonated at the polytechnic college, and that it bore metal strips that acted as shrapnel. But the bodies of those killed mostly had gunshot wounds, the country’s Investigative Committee said. The NAC also said there could have been more than one attacker.
Three days of mourning were declared in Crimea on Thursday.
