Moscow concert hall terror suspect 'scouted building two weeks before attack'

24 March 2024 , 17:17

691     0

A suspect in the Crocus City Hall terrorist attack, identified as Shamsuddin Fariddun (Image: Social media/east2west news)

One of the suspected terrorists responsible for the Moscow massacre had staked out the concert hall venue more than two weeks before the attack, a photographer has claimed.

At least four people were seen entering Crocus City Hall on Friday night, with the gunmen all armed with automatic weapons and explosives in their backpacks as they stormed the building and carried out the horror attack. Officials said 133 people died in the attack, with more than 150 injured.

Russian authorities arrested four suspected attackers on Saturday, Vladimir Putin said in a night-time address to the nation, with the president claiming that they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine. ISIS has since claimed responsibility for the attack.

As Russia holds a Day of Mourning for the 133 confirmed to have died in the horror, it's been reported that suspect Shamsuddin Fariddun, from Tajikistan, was caught on camera at Crocus City Hall on March 7. The detainee, born in 1998, is now being interrogated in Moscow.

A photographer has claimed Fariddun was working at Crocus on March 7 taking pictures of visitors. “One of them turned out to be an [alleged] terrorist,” it was reported. “The photographer recognised him after his arrest.”

Putin accused of surrounding himself with same 'actors' at series of events

Russian president Vladimir Putin pictured getting updates on the Crocus City Hall attack (Zarubin/east2west news)

Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses as saying the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire. The roof of the theatre, where crowds had gathered for a performance by the Russian rock band Picnic, collapsed early on Saturday as firefighters spent hours fighting the blaze.

Putin did not mention IS in his speech to the nation on Saturday night and Kyiv accused him of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault to stoke fervor for Russia’s invasion, which recently entered its third year. US intelligence officials said they had confirmed the IS affiliate’s claim.

Former beauty queen Ekaterina Novoselova, 42, was among the victims who died in the massacre. Novoselova won beauty pageants in 2001 in her native Tver, and lived recently in Moscow.

Another victim was Natalia Zudina, 44, a graduate of the Ural State Economics University, originally from Yekaterinburg. Most of the victims were at Crocus concert venue to see Soviet-era rock group Picnic.

Will Stewart