Late on July 22, four people, including two minors, were injured in a shooting on Vera, a central street in Tbilisi. All were taken to hospital. One of the minors died shortly after being admitted, Irakli Pirtskhalaishvili, a doctor at the clinic, told reporters.
Georgia’s Interior Ministry confirmed the incident, saying one person had been arrested in connection with it. The suspect has been charged with using a firearm and wounding four people.
He attempted to flee the scene but was detained after a police chase. According to the ministry, the suspect resisted arrest with a weapon and “sustained finger injuries during the arrest.”
The investigation is being conducted under Articles 19 and 109 of Georgia’s Criminal Code (attempted murder), which carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison or life imprisonment.
Many witnesses to the shooting: what they say
The shooting took place in central Tbilisi, at the intersection of Akaki Shanidze and Akaki Khorava streets. The area was crowded at the time of the incident.
Eyewitness Elene Koridze wrote on social media that three young men sitting in a car “were shot simply because they were laughing.”
“About an hour ago, right outside my home, a man opened fire on three 17- and 18-year-old boys sitting in a car simply because they were laughing. He then also shot a woman who was nearby. He was quickly apprehended.
It was clear this was neither a premeditated attack nor an act of personal revenge. This is not just an isolated serious crime to which the police responded quickly, but a direct reflection of the reality we live in,” Koridze wrote.
Another eyewitness, Tiko Kvaliashvili, said:
“I was walking home when I saw a crowd on Shanidze Street and went over. Two patrol cars arrived, people started shouting, and someone was running. One boy was unconscious in the car, while two others were in shock. I gave them first aid as best I could. One had been shot in the arm, the other in the shoulder. I don’t know why they were shot.”
The son of journalist Eka Kvesitadze also witnessed the incident. She said it happened near their home while her son was out walking the dog.
“Someone had shot several minors. They were lying there covered in blood,” another witness wrote.
Witnesses also told reporters that a nearby parked red Alfa Romeo had around a dozen bullet holes.
As of now, Interior Ministry has not released any additional details.
