MOSCOW, OCT 27 – A knife-wielding man launched an attack at a supermarket in the northwestern Russian city of Saint Petersburg recently, injuring four people, investigators said.
Although knife crime is common in Russia, such civilian attacks are rare. The motive for the crime is unclear.
Saint Petersburg’s Investigative Committee stated that the unnamed man “attacked shoppers and stabbed them with a knife” at the Okei supermarket branch.
“Four victims with injuries of varying degrees have been admitted to hospital and the suspect has been arrested at the scene” said the investigator.
Police spokeswoman Irina Volk stated that officers disarmed the aggressive man.
A video released by police shows a man in a black jacket, believed to be the suspect, lying on the floor with his head bandaged and a knife with drops of blood around it.
Local news site Fontanka reported a 44-year-old man had been arrested, and police described him as having an immoral character.
The site posted security camera footage showing a man running through a hallway holding a knife and a bottle of drink and attacking a woman. It also shows a customer lying on the floor in the meat aisle.
A woman who claimed she witnessed the attack told the website “a strange-looking man started throwing champagne bottles and pulling a knife”, prompting customers to flee.
“He ran towards a woman in the middle of the store and stabbed her in the chest,” he said. – AFP
