Former UPC priest shoots passersby in Zakarpattia: three dead

On October 15, in the village of Vyshkovo in the Khust district of Zakarpattia, a former priest of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UPC) opened fire on people in the street — three people were killed and two more were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

This was reported by the National Police of Ukraine.

According to investigators, at around 4:00 p.m. an armed man entered the yard of a local resident and shot him and his wife several times. He then went out onto the street and opened fire on passersby.

Two men, aged 62 and 64, were killed in the shooting. The third victim was an 86-year-old woman who died in hospital. Two men aged 72 and 86 were hospitalized with gunshot wounds.

Police detained a 45-year-old resident of the village — a former UPC clergyman. Investigators are examining the theory that a domestic conflict between him and other residents of Vyshkovo was the motive.

During searches of the suspect’s home and the grounds of the church where he had served, law enforcement officers seized an unregistered IZh-18 hunting rifle, other unregistered weapons, ammunition, and a substance preliminarily identified as marijuana. The seized items were sent for forensic examination. Blood samples were taken from the detainee to test for the use of alcohol or other substances.

The man has been served with a notice of suspicion of the premeditated murder of three people and the attempted murder of two others motivated by hooliganism. The prosecutor’s office intends to seek his detention without the right to post bail.