​​One killed and three wounded in a shootout in Makhachkala

In the early hours on Saturday, a shootout occurred between the tenants and the manager of a shopping centre in Makhachkala, Daghestan. The conflict broke out in the underground parking lot after the centre’s owner announced an increase in the rent for one of the car washes. The situation escalated, and the argument eventually led to a shootout.

Law enforcement officers are still investigating the details and trying to establish who fired the first shot. However, according to witnesses, the first shots were fired at the 39-year-old owner’s legs by three young men, aged between 21–24. The identities of the participants in the incident are not being disclosed for the purposes of the investigation.

The owner of the shopping centre responded with gunfire. One young man was killed on the spot, the second was wounded in the chest, and the third was injured in the forearm. After the incident, the owner jumped into a car and fled the scene. The wounded men were then taken to a hospital in Makhachkala.

An investigation has been launched into the incident under charges of attempted murder of two or more persons; murder; and the illegal acquisition, possession, and carrying of weapons, the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Daghestan reported.

Later, the owner of the shopping centre was tracked down. It was discovered by officers of the Investigative Committee that he too was injured. Law enforcement officials took him to hospital, where they are awaiting a medical conclusion.

‘If there are no medical contraindications, necessary investigative actions will be carried out with him’, the local Investigative Committee said in a statement.

Using firearms to resolve conflicts — both personal and business-related — is not an unusual occurrence in Daghestan.

On 15 February 2025, a conflict occurred in Makhachkala between the acting head of the Daghestan State Customer and Builder Directorate, Alibulat Magomedov, and the director of the company Stroyoriginal, Elekber Gadzhiev. The dispute arose over delays in the construction of a school in the village of Khurik. The verbal disagreement escalated into a fight and a shootout, leaving four people severely wounded. Magomedov was put on the wanted list on suspicion of causing grievous bodily harm. He later turned himself in to the police.

In October 2024, on the 754th kilometre of the Caucasus federal highway, a shootout took place between two residents of Daghestan. A 40-year-old man fired seven times from a pistol at a 35-year-old resident of Khasavyurt. The conflict arose over a debt: the suspect had previously sold a car for ₽2 million ($24,000) in instalments, but the buyer failed to meet his payment obligations. The victim was hospitalised, and the weapon was seized.

In June 2023, near one of the shopping centres in Makhachkala, there was a shooting which resulted in three men being arrested on charges of hooliganism with the use of weapons. They fired shots indiscriminately before fleeing the scene.

In October 2014, at the Kizlyar market, a conflict broke out between the newly appointed acting director of the market, Ruslan Guseynov, and the market’s administrator, Magomedamin Mamaev. Fearing dismissal, Mamaev organised a group of 14 security staff, armed them, and disabled the market’s surveillance cameras. When Guseynov arrived at the market with his family and friends, a brawl broke out, which turned into a shootout. As a result, one person was killed, and eight were wounded. Nine participants in the conflict were prosecuted for murder, attempted murder, and the illegal possession of firearms.