batumi_shooting

(Interpressnews.)

TBILISI, DFWatch–Three men were wounded in a shooting in Batumi on Friday night.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the incident began as a Russian citizen started shooting at the police.

Ministry spokesperson Nino Giorgobiani said on Saturday that the suspect was staying illegally in Georgia and was planning to go to Turkey.

She said the ministry was informed on September 13 that a Georgian was hiding a foreigner in his flat in Batumi and he was assisting the foreigner to get to Turkey from Batumi illegally. Another Georgian was helping the two, according to investigators.

On Friday at 23:00, police stopped a person in the streets of Batumi asking him to present an ID. This person brought out a gun from his bag and shot several times at the police. He then tried to hide and again shot several times aimlessly and wounded one policeman, an investigator at the Batumi police. He also wounded a civilian who was passing by. Police returned fire and wounded the suspect.

The perpetrator and the two Georgians helping him were detained. The three wounded were taken to hospital. They did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Police confiscated a gun of the make Springfield Armory, a .19 cartridge, one bullet, one knife and a mobile phone. They also took possession of an ID card indicating that the attacker was a Russian citizen born in 1988.

During a search of the houses of the two Georgian suspects, police also confiscated one grenade, a home-made gun with a wooden grip, six different knives and two backpacks in military print colors.