Maxim Kimerling
Perm school attack: Pupils were wounded in the knife attack
The authorities believe the attack in a Russian school was criminal rather than terrorist, possibly staged by a 16-year-old former pupil, according to one version.
A source in the FSB security service said: “Two criminals in masks attacked a teacher and students.
“As a result of armed attack, nine people received knife wounds, one teacher and eight students.”
The source said: “There is blood everywhere in the school.”
There were claims victims had been knifed in their necks.
A statement from the local health ministry in the city of Perm said: “A woman teacher and a 16 year old student are in a serious condition.
“They have neck wounds.”
They are described as being in a “grave condition”.
Other reports said a 10-year-old suffering a bad wound to the neck.
Other reports said the toll of victims was higher.
Some wounded children fled the school to a nearby shopping centre.
There were also claims there was a fire at the school.
The suspect was reported as having material from the Columbine High School massacre in US I on his social network account.
He staged the attack with a friend, it was claimed.
Eight ambulances and dozens of fire appliances rushed to School number 127 in Motovilikhinsky district.
Children were evacuated from the building.
There were confused reports including claims of a fight between students at the school.
A father said: “The school told my wife two intruders armed with knives attacked a chemistry teacher and pupils in room 39, and they were stabbing them on their necks.”
Pavel, a student, told journalists: “We were having geography lesson on the third floor of the school where everything happened.
“We heard fire alarm and teachers started walking us out of classrooms.
“When we were leaving, we saw drops of blood every five metres.
“When we left [the building], we saw smoke coming out of a window on the third floor.
“At first we were told that a lamp exploded and allegedly injured some children.
“From my classmates I heard that a stranger or even two entered the building and wounded our chemistry teacher and several children.”
A teacher who was trying to pull apart the fighters apart was seriously injured and was reportedly undergoing surgery at a local hospital.
Students aged ten were wounded trying to protect their teacher in the Perm school bloodbath, alleged Vladimir Putin’s ombudsman for children.
Anna Kuznetsova was flying to the scene in the Urals today to investigate who was to blame for an “outrageous” lapse in security that left the children defending their beloved teacher.
She said: “Fourth year pupils pupils were protecting their teacher who was trying to stop older guys fighting with knives.
“Two wounded teenagers are in hospital.
“The teacher is in the gravest condition.
“We will figure out how armed guys made it to school and who did not respond to the situation at the site.
“Was there really no-one apart from ten-year-old children who could stop the hooligans?
“What about the school guards?”
She stormed: “I have many questions. I am leaving for Perm.
“It is now important that children and families are provided with all the necessary assistance. “
She demanded action from local officials on the attack.
The main suspect was named as Lev Bidzhakov, believed to be 17, who was accompanied on the school rampage by a friend called Alexander.
The pair are described as “big fans of Columbine” – referring to the mass murder at a US school.
One version was that Bidzhakov had taken offence at being called a “dog” on social media.
Brave teacher Natalia Shagulia was badly wounded as she fought off the knife attackers to defend her young students at the school.
She is undergoing emergency surgery and “fighting for her life”.
The second attacker was named as Alexander Buslidze.
Witnesses said he and Bidzhakov had agreed to attack the school but ended up fighting each other during the bloody assault.
A student said of Bidzhakov: “Last year he finished year nine, he had repeated a year a few times.
“He should have been in year 11 now.
“He wasn’t doing well at school.
“He wasn’t aggressive, but quiet.
“Nothing like he wanted to kill someone.
“I don’t understand why it all happened.
“He’s from a good family, with a father and mother together.
“But he used to run away from home.
“He didn’t like that he was controlled.”
He subscribed to sites about Colunbine and sharp shooters.
Two were girls.
One 10-year-old pupil was reported to be in an extremely bad condition.