Investigators may open a criminal case against a man detained in connection with celebratory gunfire that came from a wedding cortege in western Moscow, police said Tuesday.
Yulia Makartseva, an Interior Ministry representative, told Interfax that investigators were considering opening a case on hooliganism charges, which carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The man in question was arrested by police on Monday during a post-wedding dinner and identified as Seimur Nabizade, 18, by the tabloid news website Life News, citing security service sources.
The suspect is understood to be the bridegroom. He spent his wedding night in a police cell.
Police found two air guns, 47 bullets, handcuffs and a flashing blue light while searching the vehicle in which the suspect was traveling, Interfax reported.
The wedding cortege from which the gunfire was heard consisted of nine vehicles and was led by a limousine. It was later intercepted by police. The drivers face administrative arrests and possible fines of up to 500 rubles ($16).
Eyewitnesses reported four shots from an air pistol from the cortege around 4 p.m. Monday on Ulitsa Akademika Anokhina, according to a police statement.
The incident is the third case of gunfire during weddings in Moscow in the past two months. On Sep. 30, police charged 15 guests from a wedding cortege with minor offenses after after halting festivities outside the Kremlin.
Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has condemned such behavior. "You're not allowed to shoot into the air — not in Moscow, not in Makhachkala, not in New York," Medvedev said Oct. 2 at a meeting in Dagestan.
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