Two men have been admitted to the hospital with gunshot wounds in the city of Buynaksk in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, regional law enforcement authorities confirmed on Sunday.
The victims were identified as local residents of Buynaksk born in 1975 and 1997. Officials from the regional investigative department of the Investigative Committee of Russia said law enforcement agencies have launched a preliminary verification into the incident, state news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Authorities have not disclosed details regarding the cause of the shooting, the location within the city where the shots were fired, or the current medical condition of the two hospitalized men.
Recent Shooting Incidents in Dagestan
The incident in Buynaksk, a city located near the foothills of the Greater Caucasus mountains about 40 kilometers inland from the Caspian Sea, is the latest firearm incident reported in Dagestan. The southern Russian republic in the North Caucasus region has recorded multiple shooting cases in recent months.
Prior to the Buynaksk shooting, a hunter in Dagestan accidentally shot and killed an acquaintance while aiming at wild boars inside the Kayakentsky State Nature Reserve, a protected natural zone in the region. Russian authorities opened a criminal case against the 55-year-old resident, and investigators initiated formal procedures to establish the circumstances of the fatal accident.
Hunter Arrested in Kemerovo Region
In another previous case cited by Russian news reports, a court in the Kemerovo Region of south-central Siberia ordered the arrest of a 42-year-old hunter who opened fire after mistaking a teenager for a wild animal.
The Investigative Committee of Russia, which serves as the country's primary federal criminal investigation agency, handles major violent crimes and firearm incidents across the Russian Federation. Law enforcement officials in Dagestan have not indicated when the ongoing check into the Buynaksk shooting will be completed or whether criminal charges will be filed.
