A gunman wielding an AK-47 Kalashnikov was captured on CCTV camera entering a supermarket to the horror of shoppers and staff. The shooter proceeded to let off a burst of rounds, before the terrified onlookers ran for their lives.
Miraculously no one was injured during the terrifying ordeal, and police were able to overpower and disarm him. Officers arrived on the scene after being alerted by a secret shop alarm that was activated by one of the staff. The incident happened on Christmas Day in the Petrovsky district of occupied Donetsk in Ukraine.
It was later established that the gunman was a war veteran who had served in the Russian army.
Eyewitnesses described the moment they realised that something was badly amiss and their lives were in extreme danger.
“People ran to the exit, I also rushed out and fled into a utility room,” said a member of staff. “The sounds [of gunshots] kept repeating.”
A sales assistant added: “The police officers arrived very quickly and managed to disarm this man. And then, in fact, they sorted out the situation. Only after that we were called and told that we could go out.”
The gunman is reported not to have fired at people during his rampage, but aimed at supermarket shelves instead.
Images show him firing in the alcohol section and near the shelves next to spaghetti, rice and sugar.
Further footage shows the moment police officers arrived on the scene, with one firing his gun at the shooter.
“One of the officers opened fire on the attacker with a pistol, then ran towards him and was able to disarm him,” a police spokesperson said.
It is unclear whether the gunman was injured during the shootout.
