Siege drama at Russian school as teenager armed with a gun and knife holds his class hostage 'after girl he was in love with called him a coward'
- Boy, 17, named as Iskander Khalfin held up classroom in Kazan, southwest Russia
- Reports said he shot at one teacher but missed during the siege at the school
- A female literature teacher negotiated with him to let ten of the students leave
- Russian special services and police persuaded the teenager to lay down his gun
A teenager (pictured), named by the media as Iskander Khalfin held his class up with a gun and a knife
A 17-year-old student armed with a gun and kitchen knife held a class and teachers hostage today in Russia.
Unconfirmed reports said he shot at one teacher but missed during the siege at a school in the city of Kazan.
A female literature teacher negotiated with him to let ten students leave and later Russian special services and police persuaded the teenager - named by the media here as Iskander Khalfin - to lay down his gun and surrender.
Girls were crying as he held them hostage, according to reports.
One teacher - believed to be in her 60s - was later rushed to hospital reportedly suffering from heart problems.
One account of the attack - which came during a literature lesson - was that it was motivated by the gunman's unrequited love for a girl in the school.
The girl had told him he was a 'coward' and incapable of a 'bold act', reports said.
Writing in his text book was said to indicate he was in love.
A female student at School Number 7 in Kazan told Life news outlet: 'He did not come for the first two classes of the day, only the third.
'He took his place and took out the gun.
'He told the teacher to go to the blackboard at the back of the class.
The shocking incident at School Number 7 in Kazan, southwest Russia, reportedly saw the boy shoot at a teacher but miss
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'Then he agreed that there were too many people in the classroom and agreed to let ten people.
'And my friend managed to escape then.'
According to police he did not make any demands.
Reports said two other teachers and 27 students were in the classroom during the siege.
The 17-year-old's text book was said to have writing (pictured) that indicate he was in love
Student Anna, who witnessed the scene, said: 'It was about three minutes after the literature lesson started.
'The literature teacher Tatyana Mukhina gave us a task, to write the answers to some questions.
'Iskander came in, he was standing by the door.
'The teacher started mocking him that he missed the first literature lesson and was late to the second.
'And he told: 'I have a paper from the doctor.'
'She told him: 'It's OK, Iskander, take your seat, there is no need for this.'
He showed the gun and knife and 'at first we thought it was kind of prank.
'And the teacher said: 'Iskander, you're a good boy, why are you doing this?'.
'He showed her his gun, told her to go to the front of the class.
'She went, and he sat down in her place.
'He kept the gun all the time, putting it on the table periodically.
'And all this time the teacher tried to persuade him: 'Why do this, let's allow the children to go.'
Literature teacher Tatyana Mukhina (right) 'had just given the students a writing task before the hostage situation. Reports said the school director Lyubov Kochneva (left) sought to cover up the incident but parents released information to the media
He then allowed those in the third row to leave.
'Everyone was in tears,' Anna said.
'There were people crying in our row but he didn't let anyone go in the first and second rows.
'Already the police drove up, and when they arrived, they stood in the doorway and watched.
'They persuaded him to put down the gun, he did and took out the knife, unwrapped it from some napkins.'
Russian special services and police persuaded the teenager to lay down his gun and surrender
Then suddenly the attacker began sobbing.
'He could not stand it and just started sobbing straight out loud, and at that moment he lowered his hand with the knife.
'The police rushed in and disarmed him.'
Witnesses did not say he had shot at a teacher but Russian media reports have made this claim.
Teacher Mukhina has 43 years classroom experience, said reports.
Reports said the school director Lyubov Kochneva sought to cover up the incident but parents released information to the media.
Police and FSB were questioning the detained teenager.
Vladimir Putin flew to Kazan soon after the siege ended for arranged meetings on defence issues.
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