Six dead in Belgorod shooting

Six people were shot dead in the city of Belgorod in southwest Russia on Monday afternoon, police said, reports RIA Novosti.

Police said the assailant opened “random fire” at about 2 p.m. (10:00 GMT), before fleeing in the vehicle in which he had arrived at the scene. 

The state-run Rossiya 24 TV channel said the assailant was armed with a rifle and had begun shooting on the street before moving into a nearby store.

The car was later found by police, who identified the suspect as a man of around 30 years of age with a criminal record. Special forces officers have been deployed to the address the suspect is believed to be holed up at, a law enforcement source told RIA Novosti.

Police and the city administration said a 14-year-old girl was among the dead, five of whom died at the scene of the attack. The sixth victim died shortly after in hospital.