2 dead as gunman takes children hostage in Moscow school

MOSCOW. KAZINFORM - A student shot and killed two people and briefly took fellow pupils hostage at a high school in Moscow, Russian authorities said Monday.

The gunman took students and their teacher hostage during a biology class. He is believed to be a pupil at School No. 263 on the northern outskirts of Moscow, the Investigative Committee of Russia said. The incident happened around noon local time when the student entered the school with a gun and forced his way passed a security guard, who raised the alarm. A teacher and police officer were killed. "On his way to the class the shooter injured one of the teachers who died later," the Committee, Russia's federal intelligence agency, said. "The police officers arrived to the school. When they entered the building the shooter opened a gun fire, injured one and killed another." All of the hostages were released and the gunman was detained, it added. The incident comes as Russia prepares to host the Winter Olympic Games, due to start in Sochi this week. Olympics days away State news agency RIA Novosti said it was unclear what motivated the attack, CNN informs. Television footage showed the building surrounded by police and fire emergency vehicles, RIA Novosti said. A helicopter belonging to the Emergencies Ministry landed near the school and evacuated the injured police officer, state news channel Russia 24 said. Security concerns have been heightened in Russia ahead of the Olympic Games following twin bombings in Volgograd in December. The Games are set to begin on February 7 in Sochi, and a huge security operation is under way around the Black Sea resort. Russia is pouring resources into ensuring that the Olympic Games, seen as a flagship project of President Vladimir Putin, go off without problems.