Runaway Russian teen lovers livestream shootout with police then commit suicide - TomoNews

PSKOV, RUSSIA — Two teen lovers engaged in a shootout with Russian police for several hours before killing themselves, in a tragic drama that was broadcast live on social media. Katya Vlasova, 15, had run away from home with her boyfriend Denis Muravyov, also 15, after a fight with her family, according to Russian website Lenta.ru. The drama started when Katya’s mother refused to let her stay out late and escalated into a violent argument. At one point, Denis shot Katya’s mother in the hip with an air pistol. The teens then broke into a house and stole weapons belonging to Katya’s stepfather, who was in the special forces. The teens holed up in a cottage for three days until Monday, when the police arrived. They started broadcasting themselves on livestream app Periscope as police surrounded the house. They also posted photos of the standoff on Instagram. During the siege, the teens shot at police and a police van dozens of times, even as their parents begged them to surrender while the police tried to negotiate with the teens and did not fire back. When the police stormed the cottage, the teens were found dead with gunshot wounds under their chins. Some Russians who saw the video on the internet believe the teens had attempted to surrender. Denis and Katy posted a farewell message on Russian social networking service VK in which they said they were misunderstood by adults.