A Russian dancer was shot to death in front of her apartment in Moscow in what police are calling a “contract killing,” also known as an assassination.
Natalia Pronina, 30, was fatally shot twice in the chest by a masked suspect while entering her apartment building near the Akademicheskaya train station, The New York Post reported, citing East2West News. The dancer, who has won numerous international dance competitions, was returning from a choreography session, the outlet reported.
Surveillance footage of the incident obtained by The Daily Mail shows Pronina’s final moments as the killer, sporting a hoodie and glasses, approaches her from behind and fires from a close range. According to East2West News, the suspect deployed a “non-lethal self-defense gun that was redesigned to fire real bullets for the hit,” The New York Post said.
The suspect is then seen fleeing the scene, The Daily Mail video shows.
You can watch the chilling footage below:
Pronina was taken to a nearby hospital, where she later died following an emergency surgery, The Daily Mail continued.
Police have not yet revealed a suspect or motive behind the killing, the outlet said.
Here’s what you need to know:
It Was Rumored That Pronina Was Having an Affair With a ‘Wealthy Politician,’ According to the New York Post
The New York Post reported that Pronina, a former nightclub performer, was “reportedly having an affair with a wealthy politician.”The “theory being investigated” is that the parliament member’s wife “discovered the secret relationship,” the outlet continued.
However, one of Pronina’s friends told the tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda that the dancer well-loved, indicating a potential motive behind the killing could have stemmed from “jealousy,” The New York Post said.
“She had no enemies, I can say with absolute certainty,” her friend Valeria said to the newspaper, according to The New York Post. “Only one of her admirers could be behind this because of jealousy.”
Another dancing colleague, Anzhelika, echoed Valeria’s sentiments, The New York Post continued.
“Natasha not only danced beautifully, she is a real beauty,” she expressed to Komsomolskaya Pravda, according to The New York Post. “Men always clung to her and it is possible that one of the rejected fans could have killed her.”
Pronina’s Boyfriend Is Denying Involvement in the Murder, According to The Sun
Alexander Kravchenko, Pronina’s 33-year-old boyfriend, is denying any involvement in the murder of his girlfriend, according to The Sun.
He told the outlet that he was working in Yalta, a resort city on the south coast of the Crimean Peninsula surrounded by the Black Sea, at the time of the crime.
The Sun reported that Kravchenko said Pronina “had a stalker and separately that she had a £6,000 — about $8,000 — debt that she had to repay.”
Pronina Was a ‘Master of Sport’ in Ballroom Dancing & Performed With Her Team at Parties
Pronina was a “master of sport” in ballroom dancing, according to The Sun. She also formed her own dance team to perform at clubs and parties, including stripteases, the outlet continued.
Anzhelika described Pronina as ambitious and “not the type who dreams of a white dress and a bunch of kids,” The Sun reported.
“Her work was her life,” the friend said, according to the outlet. “She earned well, she could afford a lot.” Anzhelika added that Pronina visited Milan four times last year, “where she also had fans.”
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