MOSCOW — A gunman has killed at least six people and injured 28 at a university in central Russia on Monday, authorities said.
The suspect was later detained, according to the Russian Interior Ministry.
The death toll from the attack at Perm State University was confirmed by the Russian Investigative Committee, a federal law enforcement agency which has now opened a murder investigation.
The committee had earlier said that eight people had died but this was revised to six.
Some of the 28 injured people were treated in hospitals for "injuries of varying severity," it added.
Earlier, Russian Health Ministry said seven people were being treated in nearby hospitals, one of whom is in a serious condition. Four were treated at the scene, according to the Interfax news agency.
The Investigative Committee said the suspect was wounded during his arrest and was being treated in hospital. His identity has not been released but is known to authorities, the committee said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Tass news agency that President Vladimir Putin "expresses his deepest condolences to those who lost their relatives and friends as a result of this incident."
Health Minister Mikhail Murashko and a team of specialist medics were to fly to Perm, the Health Ministry said.
Download the NBC News app for breaking news and poitics
The shooting began at around 11 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET), the university said in a statement on the Russian social network VK.com.
The Investigative Committee said the weapon used was a smooth-bore hunting rifle which the suspect bought in May.
Video posted to social media appeared to show people jumping out of windows and a man in black carrying a rifle and walking through the campus. It is unclear how many injuries were caused by the gunman or people falling while attempting to escape. All classes were canceled.
“This morning, the police on duty received a message that the sounds of shots were heard on the territory of the Perm State National Research University, and that there are dead and wounded.
The first to arrive at the scene were two police officers from the local traffic division, who entered the main building "to organize the evacuation of people," according to the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs.
One of them, Konstantin Kalinin, was shot at by the suspect. He returned fire and wounded him before giving him first aid, the ministry said in a statement.
Perm is the main city in the state of Perm Krai, about 800 miles east of Moscow. Dmitry Makhonin, governor of Perm state, has declared Tuesday an official day of mourning
School shootings are relatively rare in Russia, but in May a gunman opened fire at a school in the city of Kazan, killing seven children and two teachers.
Tatyana Chistikova reported from Moscow, and Patrick Smith and Bianca Britton reported from London.