A Russian soldier has reportedly killed three of his superior officers at a military base located near Voronezh in southern Russia.
The soldier killed one officer with an ax and the other two officers were shot.
A fourth officer was also shot but survived. The killer has been identified as Pte. Anton Makarov. He was stationed at a nearby air base.
The Voronezh Investigative Committee launched a criminal investigation into the incident, which reportedly occurred Monday. Investigators have yet to determine the motives but experts are being brought in to determine his mental state.
"According to the investigation, Nov. 9 at 5:30 a.m. local time the soldier killed an officer using an ax in order to obtain a weapon and after that shot his colleagues - two of them died, one was wounded," the investigative body said.
Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported that the killer was captured and is being detained by military authorities. The agency said that hundreds of Sobr and Omon special forces had joined in the efforts to find the shooter. Voronezh is 290 miles south of Moscow.
A witness, who refused to be identified, told a local news agency the incident occurred following an altercation between the soldier and the officers. The suspect got one officer's pistol after hitting him with an ax. He then proceeded to shoot the officers. Russian military officials have denied the details.
Human rights activists have claimed that Makarov may have been a victim of illegal hazing. Soldiers have been rumored to be subjected to brutal hazing, which includes physical violence or degrading activities.
Gulagu.net, an anti-torture advocacy group, claimed that Makarov may have been beaten by his superiors before the incident. Military officials have denied the accusations, claiming that the practice had been eliminated.
