Girl, 18, ‘shoots dead instructor at Ukrainian firing range to relieve stress after arguing with her boyfriend’
- Veronika Motorina, 18, is accused of killing Igor Smolyaninov, 64, in Poltava
- She had come to Object 7.62 range after fighting with her ‘cheating’ boyfriend
- After firing at targets, she asked for a pistol before allegedly shooting man dead
- At her murder court hearing on Saturday, she said she did not mean to kill him
Police have arrested a teenage girl who allegedly shot dead her instructor at a Ukrainian firing range after having a blazing row with her boyfriend.
Veronika Motorina, 18, is accused of killing Igor Smolyaninov, 64, in the central city of Poltava.
Reports say Motorina came to Object 7.62 shooting gallery ‘to cool down and relax’ after having a fight with her boyfriend.
The quarrel had erupted when the jealous teenager accused her partner of cheating on her, according to local media.
Veronika Motorina, 18, is accused of shooting dead Igor Smolyaninov, 64, at a firing range in Poltava, central Ukraine.
Smolyaninov was pronounced dead at Object 7.62 shooting gallery (pictured) after taking two bullets to the head and heart. The lower part of his dead body is pictured lying on the gallery floor
The Margolin pistol given to Motorina by Smolyaninov, before she allegedly used it to fire two bullets into him
Relieving stress at the facility, she was shooting at targets with a Glock pistol then with an AK-74 assault rifle.
After a while, Motorina, who was a frequent visitor to the place, asked for a Margolin pistol and was given one by instructor Smolyaninov.
But instead of continuing firing at targets, she pointed the gun at the instructor and put two bullets in his body, a witness said.
After Smolyaninov fell on to the floor, Motorina threw her weapon away and fled the scene as the shocked shooting range staff called emergency services.
Paramedics arrived at the scene and confirmed the victim was already dead.
A forensic examination showed the man died on the spot after being shot in the heart and head.
Motorina came to Object 762 following a blazing row with her boyfriend, who she accused of cheating
At a court hearing on Saturday (pictured), Motorina said she did not mean for Smolyaninov to die
The shooting range where Motorina was firing at targets with a Glock pistol then with an AK-74 assault rifle, before asking for a Margolin and allegedly killing her instructor
The shooter was caught and taken into custody one hour after the killing occurred on Friday.
Police launched a murder case against the girl and she was ordered into a pre-trial detention jail for a two-month period while the investigation is ongoing.
At a court hearing on Saturday, Motorina said to local media: ‘I did not want him [Smolyaninov] to die’.
Veronika Motorina trained herself to fire guns and wanted to join the Ukrainian Army but her application was rejected, say Ukrainian media.
She was ’emotionally unstable and regularly expressed a wish to kill someone,’ her boyfriend said to law enforcement.
A forensic examination showed the man died on the spot after being shot in the heart and head
Motorina was a frequent visitor to the Poltava shooting range and had trained herself to fire guns as part of her application to join the Ukrainian Army, which was rejected
Police spokesman Yury Sulaev told: ‘Paramedics tried to revive the victim but he died on the spot after receiving severe gunshot wounds.
‘Police have enough evidence to charge the 18-year-old suspect with premeditated murder.
‘The suspect is being interrogated by detectives at the moment.’
The teenager faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty.
The investigation continues.
Police spokesman Yury Sulaev, who has launched a murder case against Motorina following instructor’s death