A man killed four people at a market in Rustavi, southern Georgia, the Interior Ministry announced on Friday (February 9), adding that the suspect had been arrested. The shooter, “born in 1988, fired several shots at a market in Rustavi (…), four people were killed »specified the ministry.
According to this source, “the uncle of the accused” is one of the victims, while” a cousin (…) was injured “. “One person is hospitalized”, added the ministry, without saying who it was. The authorities of this small Caucasian country have not specified the state of health of the shooter or his motivations.
The town of Rustavi, bordered by the Koura River, is populated by some 125,000 inhabitants and is located 25 kilometers southeast of Tbilisi, the capital. Deadly shootings in public places are relatively rare in Georgia.
In 2023, a retired soldier killed five people, including a police officer, and injured five others in the eastern region of Kakheti, before killing himself.
In 2014, the Georgian government tightened gun laws, making it illegal to purchase or carry firearms without special permission. Illegal possession of firearms is punishable by six years’ imprisonment.