Massacre at Moscow’s top university averted thanks to vigilant students & brave lecturer

Moscow State University almost became the scene of a school massacre when a man brought a knife and a gun to class, but the students and their professor worked together and stopped a possible tragedy from occurring.

There are almost 300 freshmen attending the Faculty of Journalism at MSU, Russia’s main university – and having an eye for detail is a paramount quality for any good reporter. So, some students noticed an unfamiliar face among them, even before classes began on a Friday morning.

A strange student

The man was older than the rest of the group and was acting suspiciously, closely studying everyone around him.

“It wasn’t clear how an unauthorized person could make his way to the faculty. There are four guards at the entrance and they’re checking everyone’s papers,” MSU student Anastasiya Naumtseva, said as she recalled the scary events for Novaya Gazeta newspaper.

During the lecture, attended by over a hundred students, the intruder’s strange behavior continued. At one point, he got up and approached the blackboard to take a closer look at what professor Valery Ivanitsky was writing on it. He was “moving slowly.”

When Ivanitsky told the man that it was no way to behave during classes, he returned to his seat, mumbling something aggressive. “This was what really alarmed my classmates,” Anastasiya said.

A secret note

The professor then received a note from the audience, reading: “This man has got a knife with him.” The weapon was spotted by the students sitting behind the intruder, who kept opening and closing his backpack. One of the girls also left the auditorium to tell the university’s administration what was happening.

“The people who wrote me the note; I’ve heard you,” Ivanitsky announced, but continued his lecture as if nothing happened.

The Faculty of Journalism at the Moscow State University. © Sputnik / Maksim Blinov

The standoff

After some time, he asked the suspicious person to approach his desk to explain why he’d come to his lecture. The intruder replied that he “came to study.” In response, the professor suggested the man leave the auditorium and wait for him outside so that he could briefly test his knowledge.

“It became obvious that the man was confused and getting really nervous. It was a tense moment: the intruder stood very close to the lecturer and no one knew what to expect of him.”

Happy end

But the professor’s authority worked – the intruder returned to his place, put on his jacket and headed for the door where he was detained by security guards.The tense silence was interrupted by a round of applause.

“The students were on edge. It wasn’t easy for them to recover from the stress.” But, being a true professional, the academic continued his lecture, even making jokes to lighten the mood, Anastasiya recalled.

The intruder was handed over to the police, with the search of his belongings revealing that he had not just a knife, but also a BB gun on him. Psychiatrists were called in as his mental state raised questions.

The university explained that the man had been able to enter due to having a staff pass. A probe into the incident was launched.

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