Six die after man opens fire in the street in Russian town of Belgorod - 'because someone had scratched his car'

Investigators inspect the body of a victim killed by a gunman in Belgorod. A gunman shot dead five people in the western Russian city before speeding away in a car, local police said. (Reuters)

Six people were killed in the Russian town of Belgorod yesterday after a gunman opened fire in a central street, reportedly in anger that someone had scratched his car.

Belgorod police were still chasing the suspect, named as 31-year-old Sergei Pomazun, yesterday evening, and had not yet established the motive. Some Russian news sources suggested the attack was an armed robbery gone wrong, while others claimed that the former convict Pomazun became enraged when he discovered a scratch on his BMW X5.

Russian websites showed pictures of bodies strewn in the street covered with blue plastic sheeting, and two teenage girls were among the victims. The police posted a photograph of Pomazun online and warned local residents not to approach him, noting that he was armed with several weapons. Earlier, local police announced that he had been captured, but this turned out to be false.

The shooting occurred at around 2pm, when the gunman arrived at a shop selling hunting equipment and rifles. He opened fire both in the street and inside the shop, killing four men and a 14-year-old girl. Another teenage girl, aged 16, was taken to hospital still alive, but died later.

Today has been declared a day of mourning in the city.