The country’s interior government stated on Friday morning that a retired military veteran killed five people in the eastern Georgian town of Sagarejo before committing suicide (20 January).
According to the Georgian interior ministry, the perpetrator served in the Georgian Defense Forces from 2006 to 2021, including the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. Among those killed is 38-year-old Otar Gvinashvili, a police officer who died while attempting to protect another person during the shooting. Five more individuals were injured.
Georgian Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri, who reached the scene early Friday, said the offender was with his adult child, who escaped the flat following the incident. The 49-year-old offender is thought to have committed suicide as security forces entered his flat.
Neighbours told local media the shooter had rented his flat and was reportedly undergoing treatment for psychological problems. There is currently no known motive for the mass shooting.
The incident was first reported by a doctor at a local hospital, who complained on Facebook that doctors were unable to approach the scene to help the wounded.
Neighbors told local media that the gunman had leased his apartment and was undergoing treatment for psychological issues. The motive for the mass shooting is currently unknown.
The event was first noted by a doctor at a nearby hospital, who complained on Facebook about being unable to contact the scene to assist the injured.
