2026 Baku school shooting

On the morning of 6 February 2026, a 10th-grade student at the Idrak Lyceum in the Binagadi raion of Baku, Azerbaijan shot and wounded mathematics teacher Shahla Kamilova. The teacher was hospitalized in stable condition. The student was detained by police, and a criminal case was opened by the Binagadi District Prosecutor's Office.

Events

According to reports, in the 2–3 days preceding the incident, the suspect had been bringing a large bag to school. When questioned by school security about the contents, he claimed it contained gym clothes and showed them to the guards.

On 6 February, at approximately 09:00, the student arrived at the Idrak Lyceum with a hunting rifle. Before the attack, he reportedly entered a restroom and changed into khaki-colored clothing, similar to attire seen in videos he had watched. Returning to the classroom, he shot mathematics teacher Shahla Kamilova in the neck.

Witness reports vary regarding the exact timing; some state the incident occurred during a break, while others suggest he opened fire at the beginning of the first lesson. Following the shooting, when other teachers entered the classroom, the student reportedly panicked, stating, "I didn't mean to shoot." He was subsequently subdued by 11th-grade students and detained by police shortly after. The weapon was seized at the scene.

The school was locked down following the shooting. Parents who arrived to collect their children were initially told by the school director that reports of the shooting were "lies and rumors," according to Honored Artist of Azerbaijan Agshin Abdullayev, whose children attend the school.

On 7 February, the Binagadi District Court remanded the student into custody for a period of four months.

Victim

The victim is Shahla Faghani gizi Kamilova (born 1997), a mathematics teacher at the lyceum. She graduated with honors from Baku State University in 2014 with a degree in computer science.

Kamilova was transported to the Clinical Medical Center. Doctors performed surgery to remove foreign objects from her neck; according to her father, 16 pellets were extracted. Following the operation, she was moved to the intensive care unit and later to the neurosurgery department. Her condition was assessed as stable and not life-threatening.

Suspect

The suspect is a 10th-grade student at the lyceum. His father, Samir Shirinov, previously served as the deputy head of the Housing and Communal Services Association of the Sumgait Executive Power and is currently unemployed. His grandfather, Anvar Shirinov, was a long-time school director in Sumgait. Reports indicate the family owns the "Murad" wedding hall in the Absheron District.

While some social media reports suggested the student had behavioral issues, fellow students interviewed outside the school claimed he had been subjected to pressure by teachers. Media sources also noted the student's interest in violent video games as a potential factor.

The suspect reportedly consumed and engaged with content depicting violence and armed incidents on TikTok. On 8 February, posts from a TikTok account allegedly belonging to the suspect circulated online. The majority of the reposts on the account were related to Vladislav Roslyakov, the perpetrator of the 2018 Kerch Polytechnic College massacre.