Multiple videos posted on social media on Friday evening show the moment a mass shooting took place at a shopping center and concert venue in the Russian capital.
According to preliminary reports by eyewitnesses, masked assailants opened fire from automatic rifles and used hand grenades. Video footage indicates that at least five gunmen were involved. Official information about the incident is still pending.
One video shows people inside a packed concert hall – part of the Crocus City Hall complex – milling about. Someone shouts “close the door” right before gunshots are heard and then screaming begins.
Another video captured the sounds of automatic gunfire in the shopping center echoing from the abandoned galleries.
According to preliminary estimates by Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), at least 40 people have been killed in the attack. Separately, the Health Ministry of Moscow Region has shared a list of 144 people who were injured in the incident.
The attackers struck right before a concert of the rock band Picnic, scheduled for Friday evening at one end of the sprawling shopping complex in Moscow Region.
According to RIA Novosti, at least three attackers opened fire inside the venue and used an incendiary bomb to start a fire.
Police and emergency services have responded to the scene. There has been no information about the identity or motives of the attackers.
The Crocus City Hall is located in Moscow Region, right outside the administrative boundary of the Russian capital. The complex includes a concert hall, an aquarium, and a wedding venue, along with many shops and restaurants.