The 2021 Perm State University Shooting

On the morning of September 20, 2021, a gunman entered the grounds of Perm State University in the Russian city of Perm and opened fire. Six people were killed. Dozens of students, staff and other people were injured either by gunfire or in the attempt to escape the campus.

The victims and the attack

Contemporary reporting identified the dead as one man and five women, ranging in age from 18 to 66. The attack took place while the university was active, and students and staff sought shelter or escaped buildings as emergency services responded.

Authorities identified the shooter as Timur Bekmansurov, then a first-year law student. He had legally acquired the firearm used in the attack. During his arrest, he fired toward a police officer and was himself shot and seriously wounded before being taken into custody.

Investigation and charges

Russian investigators brought charges that included murder of multiple people, attempted murder, an attempt on the life of a law-enforcement officer and intentional property damage. The precise injury totals vary by source because some reports count only gunshot wounds while others also include injuries sustained while escaping. This file therefore uses the conservative description dozens injured rather than presenting competing totals as if they were identical measures.

Bekmansurov admitted responsibility during the criminal proceedings. Psychiatric evaluation did not lead the court to find him legally incapable of responsibility for the attack.

Trial and life sentence

The Perm Territory Court delivered its verdict on December 28, 2022. It found Bekmansurov guilty of the charged violent offenses and imposed life imprisonment. The court also awarded civil compensation to victims and relatives.

The conviction covered not only the six completed murders but also attempted murders and the attack on the responding police officer. The case therefore produced a full criminal adjudication rather than remaining an open suspect investigation.

Appeal and Supreme Court review

The life sentence survived appellate review in 2023. Bekmansurov later sought further review before the Russian Supreme Court.

On May 7, 2024, the Supreme Court's criminal panel rejected his cassation complaint and left the sentence unchanged. Contemporary court reporting states that the December 2022 judgment, as modified by the June 2023 appellate ruling, remained in force.

Timeline

1. September 20, 2021
   Shooting at Perm State University

   Six people are killed and dozens are injured during the attack on the university campus.

2. September 20, 2021
   Arrest

   Police confront and arrest Timur Bekmansurov after an exchange in which he is wounded.

3. September 5, 2022
   Trial begins

   The Perm Territory Court begins hearing the criminal case, including testimony from victims, relatives and witnesses.

4. December 28, 2022
   Life sentence imposed

   The court convicts Bekmansurov and sentences him to life imprisonment.

5. June 27, 2023
   Appellate ruling

   An appellate court reviews the judgment; the life sentence remains in force.

6. May 7, 2024
   Supreme Court rejects further challenge

   Russia's Supreme Court leaves the conviction and life sentence unchanged.

Current status

The case is classified as Solved / Final conviction. Timur Bekmansurov was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment, and the principal conviction and sentence remained in force after Supreme Court review in May 2024.