On January 20, 2023, a mass shooting occurred in Sagarejo,

Kakheti Kakheti ( ka, კახეთი ''K’akheti''; ) is a region (mkhare) formed in the 1990s in eastern Georgia from the historical province of Kakheti and the small, mountainous province of Tusheti. Telavi is its capital. The region comprises eigh ...

, Georgia. A man opened fire from his apartment balcony, killing four people and wounding five others. He then shot and killed a responding police officer before committing

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

. The perpetrator was subsequently identified as 49-year-old

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

veteran A veteran () is a person who has significant experience (and is usually adept and esteemed) and expertise in a particular occupation or field. A military veteran is a person who is no longer serving in a military. A military veteran that has ...

Nodar Atuashvili. A motive for the shooting is under investigation.

Shooting

In the early morning hours of January 20, 2023, a man opened fire with an automatic rifle from both balconies of his third-floor flat in Sagarejo,

, Georgia, killing four of his neighbors and wounding five others. One police officer responding to the scene, 38-year-old Chief Lieutenant Otar Ghvinashvili, was also fatally shot; he died on his way to the hospital. A 21-year-old man was also critically wounded. The shooting ended when the perpetrator committed

by shooting himself in the head.

Aftermath and investigation

The shooting was first reported by a doctor on

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, who complained that doctors were unable to approach the scene to help the wounded. Following the shooting, Georgia Interior Minister

Vakhtang Gomelauri Vakhtang Gomelauri ( ka, ვახტანგ გომელაური, born 24 December 1974) is a Georgian politician, who is the Incumbent Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia and former chief of the State Security Service of Georgia ...

announced that the perpetrator had committed suicide, and that pins from

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were discovered in the area afterwards. A motive for the shooting has yet to be established. It was later discovered that the perpetrator's son had fled from the flat prior to the shooting.

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified as 49-year-old Nodar Atuashvili (1974 – January 20, 2023), a former member of the

armed forces A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...

who had served from 2006 to 2021. His motive for the shooting remains unknown, though is under investigation.

References

{{Portal bar, Law, Georgia (country), Modern history 2023 mass shootings in Europe 2020s murders in Georgia (country) Mass murder in 2023 21st-century mass murder in Europe January 2023 crimes in Europe January 2023 events in Georgia (country) Murder–suicides in Europe 2023 murders in Europe