PERM, Russia -- A 12-year-old Russian schoolboy has been detained after he opened fire at a school in the town of Sars near the Urals city of Perm less than a month after a deadly attack at a nearby university shocked the country.
Regional police officials said the boy brought a hunting rifle belonging to his father to school on October 18 and shot twice at a wall and the ceiling before classes started. Nobody was hurt in the incident, which forced the evacuation of more than 300 schoolchildren and 30 teachers from the building.
Perm Krai government officials said the school's principal persuaded the boy to stop shooting and hand her the rifle.
On September 20, a gunman opened fire, killing six and injuring 28 people at the Perm State Scientific Research University. The attacker, identified as 18-year-old Timur Bekmansurov, was wounded during his apprehension by law enforcement.
Historically, attacks at schools in Russia and other former Soviet republics are uncommon. However, they have been on the rise in recent years.
