* A deadly shooting at a concert hall in suburban Moscow on Friday killed at least 133 people and injured over 100, the Investigative Committee of Russia said Saturday.
* According to the authorities, the shooters used automatic weapons at the site and used flammable liquid to set fire.
* Putin said all four gunmen in the attack were detained, adding that all perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this crime will be punished.
MOSCOW, March 23-- A deadly shooting at a concert hall in suburban Moscow on Friday killed at least 133 people and injured over 100, the Investigative Committee of Russia said Saturday.
The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) reported that the shooting occurred at the Crocus City Hall in northwest Moscow during a concert. According to the authorities, the shooters used automatic weapons at the site and used flammable liquid to set fire.
Earlier media reports put the death toll at 143.
Smoke from fire rises above the burning Crocus City Hall concert venue following a shooting incident in the northwest of Moscow, Russia, on March 22, 2024. At least 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured after a shooting at the Crocus City Hall concert venue on Friday, according to preliminary data from the Russian Federal Security Service. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the terrorist attack bloody and barbaric, vowing retribution.
Putin said all four gunmen in the attack were detained, adding that all perpetrators, organizers and financiers of this crime will be punished.
"Whoever they are, whoever guides them. I repeat, we will identify and punish everyone who stands behind the terrorists, who prepared this atrocity. This is a strike against Russia, against our people," Putin said.
The FSB said earlier that 11 people had been detained, including four who were directly involved in the terrorist attack, adding that the criminals intended to cross the Russian-Ukrainian border after the attack.
This photo taken in Moscow, Russia on March 23, 2024 shows screens displaying Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking in a televised address to the nation. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
Vyacheslav Volodin, chairman of the Russian State Duma, said those behind this horrific terrorist attack must be "eradicated."
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, stressed that those involved must face retribution, vowing to find and eliminate the attackers.
Following the attack, security measures have been tightened across Russia. Security checks at Moscow's airports and train, subway and bus stations have also intensified. Moscow and other regions have canceled all sports, cultural and other large public events.
State Duma Deputy Chairman Pyotr Tolstoy suggested the attack should not be viewed separately from the special military operation and Russia's confrontation with the "collective West." "This terrible day will only force us to unite stronger to fight until victory," he added.
In response to the tragedy, spontaneous vigils were organized in several Russian cities. Electronic billboards in many cities displayed images of candles in mourning of those killed in the attack.
This photo taken on March 23, 2024 shows a billboard displaying the image of a candle to mourn victims of a terrorist attack in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Cao Yang)
A Moscow resident named Alexey said he was deeply shocked upon learning about the incident last night and hopes those responsible will be swiftly apprehended.
"I feel very heartbroken and upset," said Moscow resident Nadezhda, who lives near the site of the incident. "It's a horrific deed to launch attacks on civilians."
Analysts note that this is one of the severe terrorist attacks Russia has faced in over a decade.
Based on online photos and videos, political scientist Sergei Razgulyaev said that the attackers appeared professional, "like mercenaries."
Alexey Filatov, a veteran of Russian special forces unit Alpha Group, said that judging from eyewitness accounts and circulating videos, the attackers had long planned their assault, armed not just with firearms but also explosives.
People lay flowers to commemorate victims of Moscow terrorist attack in front of the Russian Embassy in Minsk, Belarus on March 23, 2024. (Photo by Henadz Zhinkov/Xinhua)
Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, called for international condemnation of the heinous crime.
The White House said on Friday night that there was no indication Ukraine or Ukrainians were involved in the attack and that it would continue to monitor the situation.
Zakharova said the U.S. conclusions raised questions, urging the United States to share any reliable information with Russia.
Advisor to the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office Mikhail Podolyak and the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry both rejected allegations of Ukraine's involvement in the attack.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres strongly condemned the terrorist act, offering condolences to the victims' families, the Russian people and the government. Leaders from around the globe have also expressed condolences and condemned the attack.
