Security camera footage released by the police showed a masked gunman opening fire at the mayor, Volodya Grigorian, a friend of his, off-duty police officer Karen Abrahamian, and another man on Tuesday night as they stood outside his house in Merdzavan, one of the nine villages making up the community. Grigorian and Abrahamian died on the spot while the third man, Artsrun Galstian, was wounded and hospitalized.
Investigators did not arrest the shooter or any other suspects as of Friday evening. Prosecutor-General Anna Vardapetian said they are “doing their utmost” to identify those responsible for the killings. Interior Minister Arpine Sargsian likewise assured reporters on Thursday that they are “working actively.”
“As soon as we have news that is credible, we will definitely share it,” she said after attending a requiem service for Grigorian together with the chief of the national police service, Aram Ghazarian.
The Interior Ministry announced the following morning the dismissal of the head of the Armavir department of the Criminal Police, Artur Bdoyan. It gave no reason for the sacking. Also fired was the chief of the Investigative Committee’s provincial division, Hrachya Ghazarian.
Reacting to the killings early on Wednesday, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian said law-enforcement authorities must not only quickly solve them but also find out “what preventive actions should have been taken to prevent a series of violent acts” in the community.
Merdzavan was already rocked by a deadly shootout in February this year. It occurred outside the house of Mher Akhtoyan, the then village administration chief affiliated with Pashinian’s Civil Contract party. A cousin of Akhtoyan was killed as a result.
Grigorian’s brother is one of several individuals charged with connection with that killing. He is currently under house arrest, denying any involvement. The opposition Aprelu Yerkir party, with which the slain mayor was affiliated, has repeatedly echoed that denial.
Some local residents believe that the community chief was gunned down in retaliation for the young man’s death. The Investigative Committee has indicated that this is one of the theories of the crime examined by it. Aprelu Yerkir leaders say the authorities should have foreseen such a scenario and averted it.
“This does not alleviate our sorrow,” one of them, Mesrop Arakelian, said of the sackings of the two officials.
Other, more hardline opposition groups have openly held Pashinian responsible for Grigorian’s murder. They claim that it was the result of what they see as impunity enjoyed by government loyalists.
Grigorian took over the large rural community just west of Yerevan after an opposition bloc led by him defeated Civil Contract in a tense local election held in March this year. The ruling party conceded defeat and congratulated its rival.