Perm State University shooting

The shooting occurred roughly four months after another school shooting in Kazan, Russia, in which nine people were killed. In the aftermath of that shooting, the legal age to buy a gun in Russia was increased from 18 to 21, but the law was not yet in effect at the time of the Perm shooting. Authorities had blamed previous school shootings on foreign influence from news of similar incidents in the United States and elsewhere.

File:Psu build8 15.04.jpg

While the university has 12,000 students enrolled, only 3,000 individuals were on campus at the time of the shooting.{{Cite web|title=Several killed in shooting at Russian university|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/9/20/several-killed-in-shooting-at-russian-university|access-date=2021-09-20|website=www.aljazeera.com|language=en}} The shooter was tracked by security cameras walking towards the university around 11:30 am while carrying a shotgun.{{Cite web|last=Labrisch|first=Hadas|date=September 20, 2021|title=Six dead after Russia Perm State University shooting|url=https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/four-injured-during-shooting-at-russian-university-source-679855|access-date=2021-09-20|website=The Jerusalem Post {{!}} JPost.com|language=en-US}} He was able to overpower and injure the security guard before the guard was able to activate a panic button.{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Lee|date=2021-09-20|title=Russian students leap from windows as mass shooter kills at least 8|url=https://nypost.com/2021/09/20/russian-students-leap-from-windows-amid-mass-shooting-video/|access-date=2021-09-21|website=New York Post|language=en-US}} A student at the college said that he heard gunshots while travelling in the elevator and that he saw what he believed to be the gunman shooting at two female students who were trying to escape. At around 11:30 local time, a man wearing a military helmet and balaclava, carrying a seven-shot (6+1) 12-gauge Huglu Atrox T pump-action shotgun{{Cite web |date=2021-09-20 |title=Пермский стрелок был вооружён зарегистрированной винтовкой |url=https://life.ru/p/1436983 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=Life.ru |language=ru}} approached Building 8 of Perm State University. Prior to this (the first reports of a man with a gun were recorded at 11:27 a.m.), he had fired several shots at passing vehicles and people at the campus entrance and on campus.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=Появилось видео, как напавший на ПГНИУ студент стреляет по машинам |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/poyavilos_video_kak_napavshiy_na_pgniu_student_strelyaet_po_mashinam |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}} During massacre the shooter carried 131 rounds (two bandoliers with 26 12/76 rounds and 49 12/70 rounds and pouch with 49 12/70 rounds, also 7 12/70 rounds that he loaded in his shotgun).{{Cite web | title=VKontakte {{!}} VK | url=https://vk.com/video-74864281_456240251 | access-date=2025-03-23 | website=vk.com}} In total he fired thirty-seven shots.{{cite web | url=https://fedpress.ru/article/3268643 | title=Два года трагедии в Пермском госуниверситете: хроника нападения Бекмансурова на вуз | Пермский край | date=20 September 2023 }}

Students and teachers inside the university, who were involved in lessons at the time, used furniture such as chairs to barricade the internal doors closed. Meanwhile, video footage from outside the university showed students using classroom windows to escape, and the gunman walking outside the building. Police arrived at the scene and challenged the gunman, with a gunfight ensuing. The suspect was wounded while resisting arrest and taken to a local hospital to be treated. As of 5 October 2021, the perpetrator had regained consciousness after requiring a leg amputation for the injuries sustained during the gunfight with the police.{{Cite news|date=|title=University massacre 'shooter', 18, regains consciousness after having leg amputated|work=Daily Star|url=https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/world-news/university-massacre-shooter-18-regains-25141681|access-date=}}

Six people were killed during the shooting. They were identified as five women and one man, aged between 18 and 66 years old:{{Cite web|last=Cichowlas|first=Ola|date=2021-09-21|title=Russians Gather to Mourn Victims of Campus Shooting Spree|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/09/21/russians-gather-to-mourn-victims-of-campus-shooting-spree-a75100|access-date=2021-09-21|website=The Moscow Times|language=en}}

1. Yaroslav Aramelev (19), student of the faculty of Physics, died first, outside the university buildings;
2. Margarita Engaus (66), came to the university with her grandson (who survived) on excursion;
3. Ksenia Samchenko (18), student of the faculty of Geography;
4. Ekaterina Shakirova (19), student of the faculty of Geography, killed along with Samchenko;
5. Anna Aigeldina (24), former student, came on that day to get her master's degree diploma;
6. Alexandra Mokhova (20), student of the faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, the last victim.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=Воспоминания близких и знакомых о шести погибших от стрельбы в Пермском университете (видео) |url=https://59.ru/text/incidents/2021/09/21/70149125/ |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=59.ру |language=ru}}

47 others were injured (including 23 who were wounded by gunfire), with all except the gunman in stable condition by 22 September.{{Cite web|author=|date=22 September 2021|title=Number of people injured in Russia's Perm University shooting climbs to 43|url=https://sg.news.yahoo.com/number-people-injured-russias-perm-071230692.html|access-date=22 September 2021|work=Yahoo! News|agency=Asian News International|archive-date=24 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924043854/https://sg.news.yahoo.com/number-people-injured-russias-perm-071230692.html|url-status=dead}}

Russian police named 18-year-old law student Timur Maratovich Bekmansurov (Russian: Тимур Маратович Бекмансуров) (born 8 March 2003) as the gunman.{{Cite web |title=At least 6 dead in shooting at Russian university |last=Reevell |first=Patrick |work=ABC News |date=20 September 2021 |access-date=22 September 2021 |url= https://abcnews.go.com/International/dead-shooting-russian-university-police/story?id=80121722}} He was born in Glazov and specialised in forensics. His mother worked as an accountant, and his father worked in the police force, then served in the military on a contract basis and participated in conflicts in Syria and Afghanistan. He left the family in 2009.{{Cite web |date=2025-03-24 |title=Пять таблеток наркотиков перед жуткими убийствами: Тимуру Бекмансурову впервые в России дали пожизненное за массовый расстрел |url=https://radio1.ru/news/proisshestviya/proshu-ne-stavit-na-mne-krest-kak-timur-bekmansurov-stal-pervim-rossiyaninom-pozhiznenno-osuzhdennim-za-massovii-rasstrel/ |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=Радио 1 |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=2021-09-20 |title=Напавший на Пермский университет был его студентом |url=https://www.mk.ru/incident/2021/09/20/napavshiy-na-permskiy-universitet-byl-ego-studentom.html |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=www.mk.ru |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title= |url=http://www.psu.ru/files/docs/priem-2021/prikazy/1337-uch-bkl-ur.pdf |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230908065208/http://www.psu.ru/files/docs/priem-2021/prikazy/1337-uch-bkl-ur.pdf |archive-date=2023-09-08 |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=www.psu.ru}} After the divorce, the mother and son moved to Perm, where Bekmansurov enrolled in a local school. Prior to the shooting, Bekmansurov had posted an image of himself with a shotgun, helmet, and ammunition to his VK account while showing his middle finger. He captioned the photo with the statement: "I've thought about this for a long time, it's been years and I realized the time has come to do what I dreamt of." In the post, he also said he was "overflowing with hate". He later clarified "What happened was not a terrorist attack (at least from a legal point of view). I was not a member of an extremist organization, I was nonreligious and apolitical. Nobody knew what I was going to do, I carried out all these actions myself."{{cite news |title=6 Dead in Russian University Shooting |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2021/09/20/6-dead-in-russian-university-shooting-a75083 |access-date=20 September 2021 |work=The Moscow Times |date=20 September 2021 |language=en}} Bekmansurov's left leg was amputated due to a blood clot in the hospital.{{Cite web |date=2021-09-21 |title=Открывшему стрельбу в пермском вузе ампутировали ногу |url=https://www.rbc.ru/rbcfreenews/6149fe249a79471284fa59b0 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=РБК |language=ru}}

A spokesperson for the Russian National Guard told reporters that Bekmansurov legally owned a shotgun for hunting as well.{{Cite web|author=Anna Chernova and Lauren Said-Moorhouse|date=September 20, 2021|title=6 people killed in shooting at Russian university|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/09/20/europe/perm-shooting-russia-intl/index.html|access-date=2021-09-20|website=CNN}}

According to the publicized testimony of the former teacher: "Timur was distinguished by his intelligence, helped if asked, and also liked Hitler, supported his views, said he would have done the same".{{Cite web |title=Отец Бекмансурова рассказал, что его сын когда-то мечтал стать полицейским - РИА Новости, 17.10.2022 |url=https://ria.ru/20221017/bekmansurov-1824564899.html |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=ria.ru |date=17 October 2022 |language=ru}}

At one of the court hearings that took place, defendant Timur Bekmansurov demanded that the cell phone he had taken with him on the day of the shooting be destroyed. After listing the physical evidence, the prosecutor asked Bekmansurov what to do with some of his belongings: a computer, four memory cards, a tablet, and three cell phones. He asked for the phone he took with him on the day of the shooting, his shoes, jacket and socks to be destroyed. The shooter also asked to give his Lenovo computer and smartwatch to his mother.{{Cite web |date=2022-11-10 |title=Тимур Бекмансуров попросил уничтожить телефон, с которым пришел в ПГНИУ, а личные вещи — передать матери |url=https://59.ru/text/criminal/2022/11/10/71805734/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=59.ру - новости Перми |language=ru}} Bekmansurov's testimony was also voiced at the court hearings, he said that he hated people: "I hated people. I decided to attack an educational institution and realized that people would die because of panic. I wanted to do it. I aimed my gun, wanting to cause death. I loaded it on the fly".{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Выбирал между школой, ТЦ и университетом: в суде зачитали, что говорил Бекмансуров о стрельбе в ПГНИУ во время допросов |url=https://59.ru/text/criminal/2022/10/31/71779508/ |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=59.ру - новости Перми |language=ru}}

During the interrogations it turned out that in addition to PGNIU, Bekmansurov applied to two other universities - Higher School of Economics and Perm Humanitarian and Pedagogical University. But he chose the law faculty of the PGNIU university and in August decided that he would shoot at people.

On October 31, 2022, during the court hearing, Bekmansurov said that he started using snus from the age of 13. According to him, he did it daily and repeatedly - up to the time he committed the crime at the university, and from the age of 14 he started using psychedelic drugs. He also admitted to using ecstasy in May 2021.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Бекмансуров заявил, что с 13 лет употреблял СНЮСы, а с 14 – психоделики |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/bekmansurov_zayavil_chto_s_13_let_upotreblyal_snyusy_a_s_14_psihodeliki |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}}

Bekmansurov claimed at trial that he suffered from suicidal and paranoid thoughts, tinnitus in his ears and head, and feelings of tightness in his brain.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Тимур Бекмансуров заявил в суде, что у него психическое расстройство |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/timur_bekmansurov_zayavil_v_sude_chto_u_nego_psihicheskoe_rasstroystvo |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Бекмансуров заявил в суде о шуме в ушах и чувстве сдавленности мозга |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/bekmansurov_zayavil_v_sude_o_shume_v_ushah_i_chuvstve_sdavlennosti_mozga |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}} It follows from Bekmansurov's testimony read out in court that in May 2021 he had uncontrollable outbursts of aggression. He could not explain their cause. He began to direct his aggression towards his girlfriend, fearing that he would not be able to control himself and would take her life, Bekmansurov broke up with his girlfriend.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Тимур Бекмансуров расстался со своей девушкой, так как боялся убить её |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/timur_bekmansurov_rasstalsya_so_svoey_devushkoy_tak_kak_boyalsya_ubit_eyo |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}} It also appears from his testimony that if he had met her on the day of the massacre, he would not have shot her because he loved her.

Bekmansurov's ex-girlfriend stated in a deposition that he said he did not see the meaning of life: “Several times he sent me videos showing cruel treatment of people. He considered it normal, saying he hated humanity".{{Cite web |date=2022-10-18 |title="Говорил, что не видит смысла жизни": в суде выступили близкие пермского "стрелка" Бекмансурова |url=https://mel.fm/novosti/6450813-govoril-chto-ne-vidit-smysla-zhizni-v-sude-vystupili-blizkiye-permskogo-strelka-bekmansurova |access-date=2025-01-29 |website=Мел |language=ru}}

During his testimony, Bekmansurov said that before and after the shooting at PGNIU everything seemed unreal to him - as if he was watching what was happening from the outside. He considered different ways to commit suicide, but he said he "didn't have the guts" to make up his mind. The desire to die became the motive for the crime. Bekmansurov wanted to be killed when he was arrested.{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Стало известно, почему Тимур Бекмансуров решил устроить стрельбу в ПГНИУ |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/stalo_izvestno_pochemu_timur_bekmansurov_reshil_ustroit_strelbu_v_pgniu |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}} Bekmansurov's read-out testimony showed that he did not remember killing some people on the day of the shooting. He also said that he had never developed relationships with his peers and was ridiculed in the first grade.

From the testimony of Bekmansurov's classmate it became known that during the conversation he suggested that he personally or jointly with him to commit a mass murder: either to shoot people or to run them down with a car. He wanted to film it all on camera, like a documentary movie.{{Cite web |last=Титова |first=Татьяна |date=2022-09-28 |title=Предлагал вместе убивать людей. Суд огласил показания приятеля Бекмансурова |url=https://perm.aif.ru/society/predlagal_vmeste_ubivat_lyudey_sud_oglasil_pokazaniya_priyatelya_bekmansurova |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}}

During the massacre, Bekmansurov wore a black T-shirt that read "no mercy".{{Cite news |last=Алена ОВЧИННИКОВА {{!}} Борис МЕРКУШЕВ {{!}} |date=2022-10-31 |title=Тимур Бекмансуров рассказал, за что убил студентов |url=https://www.perm.kp.ru/daily/27464/4670494/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240616120110/https://www.perm.kp.ru/daily/27464/4670494/ |archive-date=2024-06-16 |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=perm.kp.ru - |language=ru}}{{Cite web |date=2022-10-31 |title=Бекмансуров рассказал, что помнит о дне стрельбы в Пермском университете |url=https://perm.aif.ru/incidents/bekmansurov_rasskazal_o_tom_chto_pomnit_o_dne_strelby_v_permskom_universit |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=AiF |language=ru}}{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.ntv.ru/video/2171047/ |title=Убивший шестерых студентов Бекмансуров заявил о любви к людям и призвал к гуманизму // Видео НТВ |last=ntv.ru |language=ru |access-date=2024-06-16 |via=www.ntv.ru}}

A criminal case against the attacker was initiated under Part 2 of Art. 105 (murder of two or more persons, committed in a generally dangerous way, with a rowdy motive), Part 3, Art. 30 (attempted crime), Art. 317 (encroachment on the life of a law enforcement officer) and under Part 2 of Art. 167 (damage to another's property in a generally dangerous way, with a rowdy motive) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. Relatives of the dead and those injured in the shooting filed suits against the defendant for moral damages in the total amount of 24.91 million rubles.

According to the results of a psychiatric examination, Bekmansurov was diagnosed with schizoid personality disorder, but he was declared sane at the time of the crime.

In November 2022, the state prosecution demanded that Bekmansurov be sentenced to life imprisonment. Bekmansurov admitted his guilt in full in court, expressed remorse, and asked the court not to sentence him to life imprisonment. But the court refused, and on 28 December 2022, Timur Bekmansurov received a life sentence.{{cite web |title=Perm University attacker sentenced to life imprisonment |url=https://www.kommersant.ru/doc/5748956 |website=Kommersant |date=28 December 2022 |access-date=28 December 2022}}

In early 2024, Bekmansurov filed an appeal to the Supreme Court asking for the life sentence to be overturned, the case was heard on May 7, 2024, Bekmansurov tried to argue that he was insane and his life sentence should be overturned. He described himself as feeble-minded, claimed that he was suffering from psychosis and that the medical examiners were mistaken and did not pay attention to his well-being. During the hearing, the prosecutor said that the defendant did not have dementia or psychosis. The verdict was upheld.{{Cite web |date=2024-05-07 |title="Не заслуживает снисхождения": как Бекмансуров пытался обжаловать приговор |url=https://ren.tv/news/kriminal/1217530-videoigry-i-boeviki-kak-bekmansurov-pytalsia-obzhalovat-pozhiznennyi-prigovor |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=РЕН ТВ |language=ru}}{{Cite web |title=Верховный суд 7 мая рассмотрит жалобу Бекмансурова, осужденного за стрельбу в вузе Перми |url=https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/20569465 |access-date=2024-06-16 |website=TASS |language=ru}}

In early 2025, court documents were made public: they show among other things that Bekmansurov studied in detail the behavior of other mass murderers and the mistakes they made in committing massacres.{{cite web | url=https://life.ru/p/1726354/amp | title=Бекмансуров перед кровавой бойней в пермском вузе изучал ошибки массовых убийц | date=10 February 2025 }}

Students, faculty, and residents of Perm used the exterior fence of the university to create a makeshift memorial with carnations, candles, photos, and other items.

Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko announced that a chapel in memory of the victims will be built on the territory of PGNIU. In 2023, an Orthodox cross was opened on the territory of the university.{{Cite web |last=Гармышева |first=Александра |date=2023-01-25 |title=В пермском университете на месте будущей часовни установили крест |url=https://v-kurse.ru/2023/01/25/311071 |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=В курсе.ру |language=ru-RU}} In November 2024, the chapel was opened. Dmitry Makhonin, Governor of Perm Krai, took part in the ceremony of consecration and opening of the chapel.{{Cite web |date=2024-11-13 |title=В Перми открыли часовню в память о жертвах трагедии в ПГНИУ |url=https://perm.aif.ru/society/v-permi-otkryli-chasovnyu-v-pamyat-o-zhertvah-tragedii-v-pgniu |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=AiF |language=ru}}

Some university staff and students opposed the construction on the university campus.{{Cite web |date=2024-01-25 |title=В часовне, построенной в память о жертвах теракта в ПГНИУ, прошел первый молебен |url=https://ura.news/news/1052726609 |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=ura.news |language=ru}} Erection of a memorial cross also caused controversy among students and staff of the university. A publication about the unveiling of the cross sparked a discussion about its necessity.{{Cite web |last=Медведева |first=Марина |date=2023-01-26 |title=«Кампус – не кладбище». В Перми спорят о храме в вузе, где была стрельба |url=https://perm.aif.ru/society/kampus_ne_kladbishche_v_permi_sporyat_o_hrame_v_vuze_gde_byla_strelba |access-date=2025-06-07 |website=AiF |language=ru}}

Authorities have blamed foreign influence for previous school shootings, and the attack has brought forward additional questions and potential legal changes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced on 20 September that legislative action had already been taken to further restrict gun purchases.

Sources in law enforcement agencies said that Bekmansurov will be sent to a prison in the Chelyabinsk region, as there are no proper conditions for him in the Perm region: “This convict should be in a cell alone, the premises for Bekmansurov should have a number of peculiarities because of the figure's disability”.{{Cite news |date=2023-06-27 |title=Источник рассказал, где Бекмансуров будет отбывать наказание |url=https://ria.ru/20230627/bekmansurov-1880700598.html |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20240202040341/https://ria.ru/20230627/bekmansurov-1880700598.html |archive-date=2024-02-02 |access-date=2025-01-29 |work=РИА Новости |language=ru-RU}}

Another school-attack incident that happened previously, in the same year:

• Kazan school bombing and shooting

Some other school shooting incidents in Russia:

• 2023 Bryansk school shooting
• 2022 Izhevsk school shooting
• 2022 Veshkayma kindergarten shooting
• 2022 Krasnoyarsk kindergarten shooting
• 2019 Blagoveshchensk college shooting
• 2018 Kerch Polytechnic College bombing and shooting
• 2018 Barabinsk college shooting (in Russian)
• 2014 Moscow school shooting and hostage taking
• 1997 Kamyshin military school shooting

Also:

• List of school attacks in Russia
• List of mass shootings in Russia
• List of school massacres by death toll
• List of attacks related to post-secondary schools

{{Reflist|refs=

{{Cite web | url = https://www.mk.ru/incident/2021/09/20/odnoklassnik-raskryl-podrobnosti-o-strelke-iz-permi.html| title = Одноклассник раскрыл подробности о стрелке из Перми| date = 20 September 2021 | access-date = 20 September 2021| publisher = Moskovskij Komsomolets}}

{{Cite web | url =https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2021/09/20/eight-killed-least-10-injured-shooting-russian-university/| title = At Least 8 Killed in Russian University Shooting| date = 20 September 2021 | access-date = 20 September 2021| publisher = The Daily Telegraph}}

{{Cite web|url=https://tass.ru/proisshestviya/12496419|title=Число пострадавших в результате стрельбы в пермском вузе увеличилось до 47|website=ТАСС|access-date=25 September 2021|language=ru }}

}}

{{authority control}}

{{Mass shootings in Russia}}

Category:2021 mass shootings in Europe

Category:2021 murders in Russia

Category:21st-century mass murder in Russia

Category:Attacks in Russia in 2021

Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2021

Category:Filmed killings

Category:Mass murder in 2021

Category:Mass shootings in Russia

Shooting

Category:School killings in Russia

Category:School shootings in Russia

Category:September 2021 crimes in Europe

Category:September 2021 in Russia

Category:University and college killings in Europe

Category:University and college shootings in Europe

Category:Mass shootings involving shotguns

Category:Deaths by firearm in Russia