Topline
Three gunmen opened fire on Friday at a music venue outside Moscow, according to multiple Russian state media outlets, reportedly killing at least 40 people and injuring another 100, with videos showing the building appeared to catch fire.
Key Facts
Three gunmen in military fatigues entered the Crocus City Hall music venue just west of Moscow, opening fire with automatic weapons and throwing an explosive device, Russian state media agency RIA Novosti reported.
Videos posted of the music hall show men in camouflage gear entering the venue and opening fire inside, with concert-goers seeking shelter in the aisles of the hall, while other photos and videos showed the building itself catching fire.
At least 40 people were killed in the attack, Russian state agencies reported, citing Russia’s FSB security agency, with over 100 injured.
RIA also reported the fire spread to the roof of the building, noting the fire is “getting stronger,” according to an agency correspondent.
Russian state news agency TASS reported multiple casualties, citing eyewitnesses, while multiple people injured were transferred to local hospitals, officials told RIA.
Roughly 100 people were removed from the basement of the building, according to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations, RIA reported, while Russian state news agency TASS reported evacuation procedures are underway, and the Associated Press reported a number of people at the venue were trapped inside by the fire.
Surprising Fact
The U.S. Embassy in Moscow released a warning just over two weeks ago urging Americans in the Russian capital to avoid large gatherings, including concerts, over the next 48 hours. The embassy did not provide a specific reason for the alarm, noting it is “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow.”
What We Don’t Know
The shooters’ identities have not yet been released, and officials have not provided a motive for the attack. The Associated Press described the shooting as an apparent terrorist attack.
Tangent
The shooting took place at a Crocus City Hall rock concert, where the Russian 70s and 80s group Picnic was playing a nighttime gig. No members of the band were injured during the shooting, TASS reported.
News Peg
Friday’s attack at Crocus City Hall comes less than a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin appeared to win re-election to a six-year term in a landslide victory with no real opposition, which critics slammed as an unfair and unfree sham election. Putin was reported as winning 87% of the vote, dominating the field over three other minor candidates. It was also Putin’s first election since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, a war that has sparked scorn from Western leaders, and as Kremlin officials face pushback within Russia over the sudden death of late Putin opponent Alexei Navalny at a Russian prison.
