A 19-year-old suspect confessed and said he wanted to take his own life
A woman was killed and several other people were wounded in a knife attack in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar, according to investigators.
The incident occurred at the West Mall shopping center on Zapadny Obkhod Street on Saturday. A 19-year-old suspect was detained at the scene.
“A 41-year-old woman died from her injuries, while several other people sustained stab wounds,” the Russian Investigative Committee said in a statement.
Police received reports from witnesses at around 2:00 PM local time that a young man was behaving aggressively and attacking people inside the complex, Interior Ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said. Five people were reportedly injured, including a security guard.
A pyrotechnic device was thrown into an area housing a children’s entertainment center, triggering the fire alarm. No injuries were reported as a result, according to Volk.
The Investigative Committee said a criminal case was opened on charges of murder and attempted murder of two or more people.
The agency also released a video showing the suspect being questioned and confessing, saying: “Yes, I admit it. I repent.”
In the video, the man said no one promised him a reward for the assault, but that he wanted to take his own life.
Officials said forensic medical, psychiatric, and cold-weapon examinations were ordered while investigators continue to work to establish a motive.
The regional prosecutor’s office launched a review. Investigative Committee Chairman Aleksandr Bastrykin requested a report on the progress of the case and placed the inquiry under central oversight.
