A horrific school attack in Russia has left a young child dead and exposed a disturbing case of teenage radicalisation. On Tuesday, December 16, a 15-year-old student launched a violent rampage at his elite school in the village of Gorki-2, west of Moscow, resulting in the fatal stabbing of a 10-year-old pupil.
The Attack Unfolds: A Hunt for a Teacher Turns Deadly
According to Russia's Investigative Committee, the attacker, identified as Timofey K., had originally planned to target his mathematics teacher. He arrived at school equipped with a helmet and a bulletproof vest, both bearing neo-Nazi slogans and the phrase "No Lives Matter." After evading metal detectors, he changed in a toilet and began an eight-minute search for his substitute maths teacher, Maria Dmitrievna, whom he reportedly targeted due to her non-ethnic Russian background.
Failing to locate her, his rage shifted. He pepper-sprayed a security guard, Dmitry Pavlov, who tried to disarm him, and attacked a staff member. The teenager, described as previously quiet, then began approaching other students, asking them about their nationality. The situation escalated when he chased down a 10-year-old boy, hurling racial slurs, and stabbed the child three times. Tragically, the victim, believed to be the son of a school cleaner, succumbed to his wounds.
Disturbing Evidence of Extremist Ideology
The attack was steeped in far-right extremist symbolism. Police revealed that Timofey K. had written an 11-page manifesto before the attack, which he distributed to classmates. In it, he expressed hatred for society, dividing people by nationality and religion. His gear was covered in explicit messages; his helmet featured the number 2083, a reference to Norwegian terrorist Anders Behring Breivik's manifesto.
He also recorded parts of the attack on his phone, including holding a knife to a class and taking a selfie with his victim's body. Prior to the rampage, he posted on social media performing a Nazi salute. Other messages referenced the 2022 Buffalo, USA massacre and New Zealand mass murderer Brenton Tarrant, linking him to a nihilistic, terror-promoting ideology that overlaps with neo-Nazism.
Aftermath and Arrest
During the chaos, terrified students barricaded themselves in classrooms, while over 100 others fled to a nearby sports complex. Armed SWAT officers stormed the school and detained the teenager at the scene. Following a search, they found an object resembling an improvised explosive device (IED) inside the building. The teen has since pleaded guilty to his crimes, as reported by the TASS news agency.
This shocking incident occurred just one day after another violent school attack in St. Petersburg, where a 15-year-old student stabbed his teacher, leaving her fighting for her life. These back-to-back tragedies have raised severe concerns about youth violence and extremist radicalisation in educational institutions.
