YEREVAN. – Investigation is underway into the criminal case being investigated by the Investigative Committee of Armenia, to find out the circumstances behind Tuesday’s hostage-taking at a billiard bar in capital city Yerevan, and with the use of a knife. 

The alleged offender was Gor Hakobyan (born in 1986), and his affiliation with the victim has been determined, the committee informed Armenian News-NEWS.am.

According to preliminary information, the 31-year-old man lived in the US in recent years, and he was sentenced to a lengthy prison term for committing a grave crime. 

But he was deported from the US, and he arrived in Armenia four months ago. 

He met with the hostage-taking victim in Armenia, about two months ago.   

Hakobyan and the 24-year-old woman entered the aforesaid billiard bar on Tuesday at around 4am. And at around 3։30pm, he broke the glass of the windows of this place and damaged its property to draw attention. 

Holding a knife at the young woman’s throat, the man demanded to have five people and an attorney come in. Otherwise, he threatened to kill the hostage.

Negotiations on the young woman’s release were ineffective, and the man refused to carry out the lawful demands of law enforcement officers. 

As a result, officers of the Police special detachment carried out a special operation to save the life of this young woman, and during which the man sustained a gunshot wound. He was rushed to hospital, where, however, Hakobyan was pronounced dead.

Doctors say there are stab and tear wounds as well as bruises on the body of the young victimized woman, who was hospitalized. 

An investigation is underway to ascertain the circumstances behind this incident. 

Several forensic examinations have been commissioned.