Shooting & Blast At Moscow Concert Hall Leaves 40 Dead, Over 100 Injured

As many as 40 people were killed and more than 100 injured after five gunmen opened fire at a concert in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, news agency Reuters reported.

In one unverified video posted on social media, armed men could be seen firing repeatedly at screaming civilians, who were cowering below what looked like an entrance sign to “Crocus City Hall”. Other video footage showed a number of people lying motionless in pools of blood outside the hall. Reuters was unable to immediately verify the footage. Another video showed the attackers shooting at people in the concert hall.

Russian media reported a second blast at the venue and there were reports that some of the gunmen with automatic weapons dressed in camouflage had barricaded themselves somewhere in the building.

The shooting began days after President Vladimir Putin was re-elected for a new six-year term and as Russia is prosecuting a war with Ukraine.

State news agency TASS cited Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) as saying 40 people had been killed and more than 100 wounded. The FSB said all necessary measures were being taken.

It was not immediately clear who the gunmen were. Russian news agencies said 70 ambulance crews had been sent to the scene.

Russia tightened security at airports and stations and across the capital – a vast urban area of over 21 million people. Putin has yet to comment in public.

Russia’s foreign ministry said it was a “bloody terrorist attack”, while The White House said that images of shooting in the Russian capital were hard to watch.