Khabib mourns Kazan school shooting victims as former UFC champ posts message of condolence

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has joined his fellow Russians in mourning the loss of nine lives in a shooting spree at a school in the city of Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan.

Seven children and two adults – a teacher and a school worker – were killed in the gun attack on School No. 175 on Tuesday morning.

The suspect, 19-year-old Ilnaz Galyaviev, said to be a former student of the school, was detained at the scene and is in police custody.

More than a dozen other people, mostly children, were also injured in the assault.

As Russia grieves the lives of those lost, UFC star Khabib – one of his country’s most prominent sportsmen – shared a message of condolence on Instagram.  

“There are no children of others,” wrote the 32-year-old Dagestani, symbolizing the collective grief felt at the loss of the victims.

“Condolences to the families and loved ones,” he added, sharing a black and white image of the school and with the date of the tragedy and the message: “Kazan, we are with you.”

The former UFC champion joined prominent figures from Russian sport such as Olympic figure skating gold medalist Alina Zagitova, who also posted a message honoring Kazan and the victims on her Instagram account.

Elsewhere, Russian football officials announced that Wednesday’s Russian Cup final between Lokomotiv Moscow and Krylia Sovetov would begin with a minute’s silence, as will the final round of Russian Premier League matches this weekend.

Local Russian Premier League football club Rubin Kazan also shared their condolences in a message on social media, wishing those injured in the attack a full recovery.  

In the wake of the tragic events, the Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin had ordered a review of the nation’s gun control laws.

Kazan lies around 720 kilometers east of Moscow and is the capital of Tatarstan, a Muslim-majority republic.

With over 1.2 million residents, the city is often referred to as the ‘third capital of Russia’.  

Residents of Kazan have already gathered to lay flowers and other mementos at makeshift memorials to those killed or affected by the tragedy. 

A woman lays flowers at a memorial in Kazan, Russia. © Reuters