'Norway copycat' gunman kills self after attacking Estonian Defense Ministry

2011-08-12 04:40:59 GMT+7 (ICT)

TALLINN (BNO NEWS) – A gunman killed himself on Thursday afternoon after he opened fire and took hostages at the Estonian Defense Ministry in the country's capital of Tallinn, the Estonian Public Broadcaster (ERR) reported.

The attack began at around 3.10 p.m. local time when the gunman, who was identified as Karen Drambjan, opened fire at the headquarters of the Defense Ministry. He then detonated an explosive device, filling the lobby with smoke, and took a security guard hostage.

The area around the building was quickly cordoned off and Ministry employees were evacuated to the Estonia Theater which is adjacent to the government building. Armed police and ambulance crews entered the building nearly two hours later after more shots and a second explosion were heard.

Just after 5 p.m. local time, as armed police were inside, several more shots were heard before Drambjan shot and killed himself. The security guard who he had taken hostage was safely released.

ERR reported that Drambjan had several smoke bombs and more than ten explosive devices in addition to more than 100 rounds of handgun ammunition. Drambjan was identified as a member of the Estonian United Left Party and was familiar to the police.

A ministry spokesman said that Defense Minister Mart Laar, who previously served as the country's prime minister, was not in the building at the time of the attack. However, he quickly arrived at the building after the attack began.

"The motive of his action has remained unclear," Prime Minister Andrus Ansip told the Delfi news website. "This is depressing. It looks like someone has been inspired by the events in Norway."

The attacks in Norway happened late last month when 32-year-old Anders Behring Breivik set off a car bomb in the Government quarter in Oslo, killing eight people and injuring 30 others. He then allegedly went on a shooting spree on Utoya island where the Labour Party's annual Workers' Youth League (AUF) youth summer camp was being held, killing 69 people and injuring 66 others.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-12

A nutty Leftie trying to start something...

"Copycat"

The similarities are there for all to see, save for 69 dead bodies.

Who was the shooter in the defence ministry?

Among others, he was defence attorney for members of the Night Watch (Nochnoy Dozor), a group of mostly Russophone political activists living in Estonia who were charged for rioting in April 2007 in Tallinn during removal of Bronze Soldier monument.

In 2009 he joined the United Left, a minor political party that until recently claimed legal succession to the Soviet-era Communist Party.

In a blog post made in 2009, Drambjan wrote: „It is clear that the Estonian government has chosen the path for civil war. (…) It will bring about rivers of blood, criminal destabilisation and total poverty.“

http://www.bbn.ee/article/2011/8/12/who-was-the-shooter-in-the-defence-ministry