Horrific events unfolded at a supermarket today as a single gunman unleashed gunfire and held hostages.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that five individuals tragically lost their lives during the alarming incident in Kyiv, with at least 15 others, including a child, sustaining injuries, according to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.
Disturbing video footage captured the gunman wielding an automatic weapon inside the Velmart supermarket while keeping hostages.
Following unsuccessful negotiations, Ukrainian special forces swiftly entered the store and neutralized the suspect. Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko affirmed that the threat had been eliminated.
The gunman was identified as Dmitry Vasylchenkov, a 57-year-old with Ukrainian citizenship originally from Moscow.
“A police statement revealed that the National Police special forces intervened at the site where the assailant was situated,” the statement read. “He took hostages and fired at a police officer during the arrest. Prior to this, negotiators attempted to establish communication with him.”
The gunman also possessed a Kel-Tec Sub-2000 semi-automatic carbine, a firearm available for purchase by any eligible Ukrainian citizen over 25 years old with a hunting license.
The motive behind the incident, whether related to the ongoing conflict with Russia, remained unclear.
According to a witness report, a terrorist shot a young girl who was innocently walking in Kyiv.
Witnesses described how the gunman had taken individuals hostage within the Velmart supermarket after barricading himself inside the shopping center.
Earlier, Mayor Klitschko disclosed, “Two individuals lost their lives in a shooting incident in Kyiv’s Goloseevsky district. The perpetrator remains within the supermarket. Five injured individuals have been hospitalized, including a child and a security guard from the supermarket where the assailant gained entry and is currently located.”