Authorities Shoot, Kill Terrorist Man With Bomb In Briefcase Held Kindergartners Hostage

A man with a homemade bomb held 14 kindergartners and two teachers hostage for six hours Tuesday before security agents killed him. None of the hostages was injured.

The man broke into the kindergarten in downtown Minsk early Tuesday and announced that he had a bomb inside a small suitcase.

Calling himself a terrorist, the man ordered the teachers and children ages 4 and 5 to line up against a wall, according to Natalya Sakina, another teacher who managed to flee the room.

Sakina said the man, later identified as 43-year-old Alexander Zyulkov, was incoherent and shaking all over.

He said he wanted to “restore justice,” she said.

Police met Zyulkov in the classroom to negotiate.

During the talks, police managed to lead all but two of the children from the room.

Zyulkov was killed with two shots to the head after security agents determined he indeed had an explosive device in his suitcase, Minsk police chief Boris Tarletsky said.

Zyulkov had twice been sent to a psychiatric hospital and was angry at the authorities who ordered him hospitalized, police said.