A fight about mask-wearing requirements amid the pandemic apparently escalated in Moscow to the point where a man pulled a gun and killed at least two people, according to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on Tuesday.
The alleged shooter has been detained and is undergoing psychological assessment, according to the statement.
Sobyanin called the incident "a tragedy."
The incident occurred at a citizen's services centre where people can go to request personal documents or have them processed. The suspect allegedly refused to wear a mask, despite requests to do so, and then pulled out the gun and began firing.
At least three other people were injured, including a 10-year-old girl, reported the Interior Ministry. Sobyanin said doctors were doing everything they could for the wounded. He also extended his sympathies to the families of the dead.
Russia has seen multiple incidents in which people opposed to safety rules related to the pandemic - like social-distancing and mask-wearing - have protested. In November 2020, a person who refused to wear a mask stabbed a person on a bus after being asked to cover his face.
