In this article we look at, among other things, the cost of the terrorist attack on the Crocus City Hall building, which left over 100 dead.
The Russian news agency TASS reported on March 23 details from the Crocus City Hall mass shooting and fire. One of the four gunmen told interrogators that he had been contacted to do the job for 500,000 rubles, or approximately $5,400. Half of this money, or $2400, was supposedly sent to a card, which he subsequently lost while running through a forest as he was being chased by the police. Furthermore, anonymous recruiters hired him via a Telegram chat. TASS cites the Telegram channel of RT TV channel editor-in-chief Margarita Simonyan as its source.
Materials and costs
The four gunmen were not provided with any material. Thus, they bought one (perhaps two) Renault Symbol (also known as the Clio in other markets). The weapons included a late-model semi-automatic Saiga TR3 and an AK74, according to the mash.ru website. The authorities announced that the gunmen’s stock of ammunition of both 5.45mm and 7.62mm calibers, totaling over 500 rounds, was found. The amount fired is unknown. Other weapons including at least one pistol and fire-bombing material were also used.
So, how much did this cost? If you believe Simonyan, the foursome started with the equivalent of $10,800 on their cards, and their equipment would be deducted from that. The Renault Symbol shown in the roadside video captures is a first-generation vehicle from after the 2002 series facelift, and it typically has an asking price of $4000 in that part of the world, according to a web search. The TR3 is relatively expensive when new, but the old AK74 photographed as being found on site is commonly a couple hundreds of dollars, and perhaps for the pair, $1000 would be sufficient. The ammunition, if bought elsewhere, would have been about $400, but it is unclear how much this volume would have cost in Russia. This means that possibly, each gunman would have had a little over $1000 to show for their efforts when they got into the Renault after setting the building ablaze.
Other employees
All of this holds if you believe Simonyan. Russian media also report that up to 11 people have been arrested in connection with the massacre.
Besides the 11, bne IntelliNews reported on March 26 that there is video showing men, all dressed alike, disbursed on the edge of the crowd, and remaining calm while the crowd panicked. In the article, the authors point out that, "Russian social media is buzzing with conspiracy theories, linking the FSB security services to the attack".
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Image source: bne IntelliNews
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