Russian school shooter remanded in custody after killing nine in Kazan

A Kazan district court has remanded 19-year-old Ilan Galyaviev in custody for two months on suspicion of killing nine people during a school shooting on May 11, reports the newswire Interfax. During the hearing, Galyaviev stated that he didn’t object to his arrest.

Galyaviev stood in a glass cell with three police officers during the remand hearing. He was handcuffed to two of the officers.

An investigator told the court that Galyaviev planned to kill multiple people, in an attempt to “express his superiority.” He allegedly fired at least 17 rounds from a gun he brought with him into the school. The suspect also planted and detonated an explosive device near the entrance to the primary school office. The investigator said that Galyaviev pleaded guilty to murders, but insisted that his actions were “justified.”

In response to questions from the judge, Galyaviev said that he didn’t have any serious illnesses or disabilities. Earlier, state investigators reported that the suspect was diagnosed with a brain disease in 2020 (they didn’t specify the exact diagnosis). The business newspaper Kommersant reported that Galyaviev was diagnosed with cerebral atrophy — the loss of brain cells (neurons), which also destroys the connections that allow these cells to communicate. This can be caused by a variety of diseases and disorders.

A state prosecutor told the court that the charges against Galyaviev may be requalified as terrorism “if there are grounds.” The Russian Investigative Committee stated earlier that it planned to indict Galyaviev on murder charges. The prosecutor also said that Galyaviev would be sent for a psychological and psychiatric assessment.

• On May 11, Ilnaz Galyaviev opened fire inside a school in the Russian city of Kazan, killing seven children and two adults. Another 23 people were injured, including 20 children. Several of the victims were hospitalized in serious condition. On the morning of May 12, all of the victims were in stable condition.
• It later emerged that Galyaviev carried out the attack using a licensed firearm he obtained just weeks ago.