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The Centrs bombing was an attack on a downtown Riga shopping center on 17 August 2000, where two time bombs detonated independently of each other. The two blasts occurred in the lobby of the supermarket ten minutes apart. One person died of their injuries and 35 were wounded in the attack.[1][2]
| "Centrs" department store bombing | |
|---|---|
 Image of the department store "Centrs" in 2002 | |
| Location | Riga, Latvia |
| Date | August 17, 2000 5:19 pm – 5:27 pm (UTC 2) |
| Target | Department store "Centrs" |
Attack type | Bombings |
| Weapons | Time bombs |
| Deaths | 1 |
| Injured | 35 |
| Perpetrator | Leonards Gromovs (suspected) |
Attack
editThe first bomb exploded at 5:19 pm. Police arrived few minutes later and started the evacuation. The blast had shattered glass windows and filled the ground floor with smoke. Eight minutes later the second bomb exploded. Dozens were injured, three had to be rushed to hospitals whilst 33 others were treated at the scene. One woman died in hospital.[3]
Investigation
editAfter a year and a half, the police arrested a suspect, Leonards Gromovs, who was initially known as Leonards Butelis. He was later charged for planting the second bomb but was acquitted by the Supreme Court one year later due to lack of evidence. Since then no one has been found guilty and charged for the explosions.[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Latvian shopping centre blast". BBC News. August 17, 2000.
- ^ "Incident Summary". Global Terrorism Database. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^ "Bomb Blast in Riga Injures 28". The Moscow Times. 19 August 2000. Retrieved 2023-03-23.
- ^ Kasparāns, Ģirts (August 20, 2020). ""No trieciena zaudēju dzirdi, iestājās kontūzija." Pirms 20 gadiem sprādzieni satricināja universālveikalu "Centrs". Izmeklēšana joprojām turpinās".