Two dead in shooting in Russian Orthodox cathedral

http://www.euronews.com/2014/02/09/two-dead-in-shooting-in-russian-orthodox-cathedral/ ^ | 09/02 17:04 CET | Euro News

[annalex]

A shooting at a Russian Orthodox cathedral has left a nun and a churchgoer dead. Six other people were injured. It happened in Yuznho-Sakhalinsk on an island off Russia’s eastern coast.

The gunman was detained at the scene said officials adding that the suspect worked as a security guard in the city. There was no immediate motive behind the attack.

The cathedral is on the island of Sakhalin almost 8,000 kilometres from Sochi. Security forces are on high alert over possible attacks on the Winter Games.

Most of the people who were injured in the shooting – which happened in mid afternoon were shot in the leg and their lives were not in danger said the regional leader of the Russian Orthodox Church.

It’s been reported psychiatrists will try to determine the suspect’s mental state.

[annalex]

Video at source.

***

I know a bit more from Kholmogorov's blog.

It is known that the motive is atheism culminating in hatred of the Christian people. The shooting occurred during the Solemnity of the New Martyrs of Russia. Notably, he shot at both the people and the icons. Victor Gorbach, the arch-priest of the church told the reporters that the shooter expressed his "hatred for the Christians and generally the Church". A nun distracted the shooter and tried to stop him; her actions allowed many to escape the attack. She was shot dead, and so was one parishioner.

The Church was reconsecrated after the shedding of blood and the services have resumed.

Nun Lyudmila (Pryanishnikova), the new martyr

[annalex]

Let us pray.

Archbishop of Sakhalin and the Kurils Tikhon leading the prayer for those killed.

[Salvation]

Prayers for all of them.

[Kolokotronis]

Вечная память. May their memories be eternal!

[livius]

Very sad. When someone is killed in an Orthodox or Catholic church, the space has to be reconsecrated.

[NYer]

May they find Peace and rest in the Lord!

[Viennacon]

Horrible news. Why would someone do this?

[annalex]

Would you pit this on your prayer ping, please?

[annalex]

Why would someone do this?

Ordinarily, atheism kills.

[annalex]

Note that the Holy Icons were targeted alongside the people.

[Straight Vermonter]

Prayers for all those touched by this madness.

Please keep us up to date on anything else you hear about this.

[Cloverfarm]

Bless her heart.

[Kolokotronis]

Вечная память. May their memories be eternal!

[Kolokotronis]

It is a fallen world, my brother. In a less violent fashion, we see attacks on the veneration of our Holy Icons everyday here on FR. We need to pray unceasingly.

[Mark17]

Horrible news. Why would someone do this?

I do not know, but I wonder if the killer has any particular religious preference?

[PAR35]

It’s a Japanese island occupied by Russia. Most, but not all Japanese were ethnically cleaned from the territory. So it could be a Jap, a Muzzi, or just a crazy Russian.

[Greysard]

I wonder if the killer has any particular religious preference?

Reportedly, the shooter was driven by hatred for Orthodox Christians, aggravated by prolonged depression, according to Google Translate.

Additionally the article mentions that the shooter developed interest in some neo-pagan religion, "whose supporters tend to aggressive attitude to believers who profess other religious beliefs."

Here is a summer time photo of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (from an earlier article on that site:)

[Mark17]

Additionally the article mentions that the shooter developed interest in some neo-pagan religion.

Thanks for the nice picture. I have always been fascinated by Russian architecture. Isn't Islam a neo-pagan religion?

[peter the great]

The Church had to be reconsecrated because the Divine Liturgy is a Bloodless Sacrifice and if the Priest cut his hand the same rules would apply he could not continue with the service.

[Verginius Rufus]

According to the Wikipedia article, the Japanese claimed the island in the early 1800s but only controlled the whole island briefly in the 1920s. From 1905 to 1945 the southern part of the island, including the city where this killing took place, was Japanese (the Japanese name of the city is Toyohara).