Retired military officer kills five in Georgia shooting

Georgia: A retired military veteran killed six individuals, including a police officer, and injured another five in Georgia’s eastern Kakheti region before committing suicide, the country’s Interior Ministry said Friday. 

According to details, the incident was first reported by a doctor at a local hospital, who complained on Facebook that medics were unable to approach the scene to help the injured.  

Reportedly, the 49-year-old suspect had been with his adult child who escaped the flat following the incident. The offender is believed to have killed himself as security forces entered his flat.  

Neighbours told local media that 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 offender had served in the Georgian Defence Forces between 2006 and 2021, including in the NATO-led peacekeeping mission in Afghanistan. 

Among the dead is 38-year-old Otar Gvinashvili, a police officer who sustained fatal injuries while trying to protect another person during the shooting. 

Five other people were wounded, according to the Georgian interior ministry. 

Following this, the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili offered his condolences to families and relatives of the five people who were killed. 

Moreover, the police investigation into the incident is looking into the shooting with the articles of premeditated murder and illegal possession and keeping of firearms.