On January 20, 2023, a mass shooting occurred in Sagarejo, Kakheti, Georgia. A man opened fire from his apartment balcony, killing four people and wounding five others.^[1][2] He then shot and killed a responding police officer before committing suicide.

The perpetrator was subsequently identified as 49-year-old military veteran Nodar Atuashvili. A motive for the shooting is under investigation.

Shooting

In the early morning hours of January 20, 2023, a man opened fire with an automatic rifle from both balconies of his third-floor flat in Sagarejo, Kakheti, Georgia, killing four of his neighbors and wounding five others. One police officer responding to the scene, 38-year-old Chief Lieutenant Otar Ghvinashvili, was also fatally shot; he died on his way to the hospital. A 21-year-old man was also critically wounded. The shooting ended when the perpetrator committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Aftermath and investigation

The shooting was first reported by a doctor on Facebook, who complained that doctors were unable to approach the scene to help the wounded.

Following the shooting, Georgia Interior Minister Vakhtang Gomelauri announced that the perpetrator had committed suicide, and that pins from hand grenades were discovered in the area afterwards.

A motive for the shooting has yet to be established. It was later discovered that the perpetrator's son had fled from the flat prior to the shooting.

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified as 49-year-old Nodar Atuashvili (1974 – January 20, 2023), a former member of the armed forces who had served from 2006 to 2021.^[3] His motive for the shooting remains unknown, though is under investigation.

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