KAZAN. May 16 (Interfax) - The case of the Kazan schoolboy who armed himself with an air pistol and a knife and held classmates at his school hostage has highlighted the need to review the existing system of gun circulation control, Russian human rights commissioner Tatyana Moskalkova said.
"Yet again, this case goes to show that we need to review, first of all, gun circulation control, and secondly, since we have allowed civilian population to carry weapons in general, we need to train and double check how to use one, and understand that these are very dangerous things which can cause not only injury but also human death," Moskalkova told journalists on Thursday.
In this instance, it is necessary to investigate how the weapon ended up in the young man's hands and found its way into the school, and draw systemic conclusions, she said.
"This issue should be approached comprehensively today, not just in respect of a person who didn't have the right to possess a gun but also comprehensively in respect of those who do have this right; how they get medical certificates and references for the right to acquire a weapon," she said.
"All this requires very serious reform and review in order to raise the level of guarantees for people against unlawful use of weapon," Moskalkova said.
It was reported that on May 13 a student at Kazan's School No. 7, armed with an air pistol and a kitchen knife, held classmates hostage in a classroom for around an hour. He put forward no demands. A while later he was apprehended. No one was injured.
Police launched a criminal case over unlawful imprisonment. The schoolboy was placed under two-month house arrest.