A 34-year-old man identified as a well-known skateboarder was gunned down in broad daylight in Moscow on Thursday by a killer who was captured hunting his victim in surveillance footage.
Police were quoted telling state-controlled media that the murder appeared to be a contract killing, though the Investigative Committee later claimed a personal dispute was the real motive. Numerous reports identified the deceased as Konstantin Balishansky, the first skateboarder to join Nike SB Russia several years ago.
The brazen killing was apparently carried out in full view of surveillance cameras, with video released showing both the moments leading up to the fatal shots and the killer callously firing one last time into the victim before nonchalantly walking away.
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The gunman, dressed all in black, wearing a baseball cap and wielding an AKS-74U, fired his first shot near a children’s playground, witnesses told 112 News. Balishansky was apparently hit in the back but still managed to run away, leading to a dramatic chase through residential streets.
The gunman was later captured following a shootout with security services in which he was injured, investigators said. Sources cited by well-connected pro-Kremlin Telegram channels identified the killer as a 35-year-old man named Andrei Dyomin, who was said to have known Balishansky and previously worked for an online skating shop.
Some have questioned the official narrative, however, noting that certain details seemed inconsistent with a personal motive. Dyomin was reportedly caught with a military-style knife, protective glasses, binoculars, camouflage clothing, and a map, even though he reportedly lived nearby. Before the alleged gunman was identified publicly, reports claimed that Balishansky had been targeted since at least early February.
Unidentified people began to gather his personal information and compile a “dossier” on him using leaked data and the dark web, according to the Telegram channel SHOT, citing an unnamed source. The murder was intended to be quickly carried out in front of the victim’s home, but it didn’t go according to plan.
