A large concert venue near Moscow became the scene of a mass shooting late Friday. The massacre has left over 100 people dead, including children, and is one of the worst terrorist attacks in Russia’s modern history.
According to the latest estimates, at least 133 people were killed and scores injured in the deadly shooting and subsequent fire sparked by a group of gunmen who stormed the Crocus City Hall, a large music venue just outside of the Russian capital.
Details are still emerging, but according to Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), the attack was carefully planned and designed to maximize casualties. An investigation into the incident is underway. Here is what is known so far.
Perpetrators detained
Eleven people, including four terrorists who were directly involved in the deadly shooting, have been detained, the FSB said in a statement on Saturday.
According to the security service, the weapons used in the shooting were organized in a cache in advance.
Russia’s Investigative Committee also confirmed that four suspects who “committed the terrorist attack” on Crocus City Hall were detained in Bryansk Region, “not far from the border with Ukraine.”
According to the authorities, the terrorists planned to flee to Ukraine.
Death toll rises
According to the Investigative Committee, as of Saturday afternoon, the death toll in the attack has risen to at least 133 people, including three children, as more bodies have been discovered in the rubble. The Moscow Region Health Ministry said that at least 121 people were wounded, with 107 requiring hospitalization. Emergency services continue to work at the site.