Vice principal, security firm director, and shooter’s father arrested after deadly school shooting in Russia

Larisa Katolikova, the vice principal of a school in the Russian city of Bryansk, has been arrested on suspicion of negligence after Thursday’s shooting there, report RIA Novosti and Telegram channel Baza.

On Thursday, December 7, 14-year-old Alina brought a pump-action shotgun to school and opened fire on her classmates, according to the Russian Investigative Committee. Five people were injured and one student was killed, said local police, while the shooter took her own life before she could be detained. The student who died was a 13-year-old named Maria, reported Baza.

Investigators believe Katolikova’s “negligent actions” led to the girl being able to enter the school with a weapon and open fire, said Baza. If convicted, Katolikova could face up to seven years in prison.

According to Baza, Alina’s father, Dmitry Afanaskin, is also under investigation, both for “negligent storage of a weapon” and “incitement to suicide.” Investigators believe the girl’s relationship with her father influenced her actions. RIA Novosti reported the weapon she used belonged to her father.

Authorities have also arrested Sergey Poddubny, the director of the security firm responsible for the school’s safety. According to investigators, he failed to install a metal detector at the school and did not adequately supervise his staff. He is charged with “providing services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more people.”