Georgian national behind Baku academy massacre – embassy
18:30 | 30/ 04/ 2009
TBILISI, April 30 (RIA Novosti) – The Georgian ambassador to
Azerbaijan confirmed on Thursday that a Georgian national was
responsible for a massacre at a college in Baku earlier in the day.
"Official sources have confirmed the information," Nikoloz Natbiladze
said.
At least thirteen people were killed and 11 wounded when a gunman
opened fire at the State Oil Academy in Azerbaijan’s capital on
Thursday morning, according to the country’s health ministry.
Azerbaijan’s Interior Ministry named the shooter as Georgian national
Farda Gadyrov, born in 1980 and of Azerbaijani origin.
Gadyrov was reported to have killed a security guard and cleaner after
entering the academy. He then continued shooting indiscriminately at
students and staff with a Makarov pistol while going up a staircase.
Azerbaijan’s ANS television channel said the gunman had killed 17 and
wounded 13, including Azerbaijani, Turkish and Syrian nationals,
before killing himself.
The academy is a major international center for the training of oil
industry specialists. Former students include Soviet-era secret police
head Lavrenty Beria and Vagit Alekperov, president of Russia’s largest
independent oil producer, LUKoil.
A probe into the incident has been launched under the supervision of
Azerbaijani President Ilkham Aliyev, who has already conveyed his
condolences to the families of those people killed in the attack.