Unidentified gunmen dressed in camouflage attacked a concert hall in Moscow, Russia this Friday. At least 40 people died at Crocus City Hall, according to local media. Over 6000 people will be at the venue tonight for the popular Russian band Picnic.
Videos posted on social media and rebroadcast by Russian TV channel RT show at least three armed men advancing through the audience of the arena and shooting at the audience. According to a journalist who was at the scene, quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency, hundreds of survivors waited on the ground for 15 to 20 minutes before the attack, when they managed to escape.
oh Crocus City The hall is part of a larger complex Crocus CityIncludes a shopping center. According to the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), more than 100 people were injured. At least 70 ambulances were rushed to the spot, as were special police units.
The mayor of Moscow, Sergei Sobyanin, speaks of a “great tragedy”. All major public events scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled.
The identity of the shooters is currently unknown. The Ukrainian government has said that Ukraine has no involvement in the attack. “Let's be clear, Ukraine has nothing to do with these events,” insisted Mykhailo Podoliak, adviser to the Ukrainian president.
The US has already condemned the attack. “The images are simply horrific and difficult to watch, and our thoughts are obviously with the victims of this terrible, terrible shooting,” White House spokesman John Kirby said.
In recent weeks, several countries have issued security alerts following reports of a possible terrorist attack in Moscow. On March 7, a note from the U.S. Embassy in Russia called on U.S. citizens to avoid gatherings in the Russian capital.
“The Embassy is monitoring reports that terrorists have immediate plans to target large gatherings, such as concerts, in Moscow, and U.S. citizens should avoid large gatherings for the next 48 hours,” the memo said.
The warnings came after Russian authorities intercepted members of a self-proclaimed cell of the Islamic State of Afghanistan allegedly preparing to attack a synagogue in Moscow. The suspects were killed in a shootout with Russian FSB agents in the city of Kaluga, where weapons belonging to the group were also found.