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Hong Kong Speech Festival - Solo Verse Tips and Advice

The Hong Kong Speech Festival (English speech) is upon us again and that means a lot of students are preparing for their solo verses. As usual, the poems require the students to immerse themselves in the poet’s words and showcase their ability to convey emotions in order to score high marks.  And as always, this is the most difficult part for any participant in these competitions. Students will definitely need speech festival training and practice

Most schools will provide some basic guidance on what students need to do. Teachers will probably go over procedures, the format and provide simple training. Unfortunately, teachers usually can’t help each individual student and that’s why parents often look for speech festival training help on their own. Here we’ll talk about a few tips to help your children improve.

• Students need to memorize the entire poem and be able to say each word correctly. If there are any mistakes, points will be deducted. For example, if the poem writes “the snake in the grass” and the student says “a snake in the grass”, they’ll lose marks for this error.
• Building on saying each word correctly, students also need to be sure they enunciate well. This means that each word should be said clearly and each syllable is audible. Students should practice saying the multi-syllable words in the poem with specific emphasis on saying the ends of the words. Special attention on hard sounds in English, like “t” and “ck”, should be recognized. The organization still emphasizes British pronunciation, so if you can, try to have them practice with this in mind.
• The theme or central idea of the poem should be understood by the student. If they don’t understand what the poem is about, they probably can’t relay it to the audience. For example, if the poem is somber, and the student recites it in a happy way, it shows that they didn’t understand the poem very well.
• The student needs to understand every word in the poem. They need to understand how it’s used to convey the poet’s ideas and feelings. If they don’t understand the words, they won’t know if they need to emphasize it. Sometimes poets play with words in order to create a new feeling or idea and students need to be able to recognise this.
• Volume, syllable stress and timing play a huge role in getting the overall tone of the poem down. Knowing when to slow down, pause, get louder and then focus on certain parts of words give the dramatic effect that leads to high marks.
• Emotions seen through the face and heard through the voice are usually what determines if the student will score high or not (if they do the previous tips well). The student really needs to “dive into” the poem. For example, this year the P3 boys solo verse is “Elephant Walking” by Clive Sansom. In this poem, the speaker is an elephant in search of water. How do you convey the emotions of an elephant? You have to teach the student that the poet is attaching his human emotions onto the elephants in the poem. If the poet or an elephant sees a tiger, wouldn’t they both feel scared? Students have to show the emotions/feelings of the poem accurately and correctly in order to get high marks.

These tips should help students who are preparing for their poems by giving them more focus on what they need to improve on. In most cases, students need to work on all of the focus points above so it truly is a lot of work. There are a few resources online, but a lot of useful ones can be found on youtube . Just type in the name of the poem on the list and you’ll be able to hear and get some analysis on the poems.

We’re also here to help students. Please contact us if you want specialized Speech Festival Training and Practice from one of our qualified tutors. Good luck and practice hard!

For more vocabulary lists, check these out!

Secondary School List #1 Secondary School List #2 Secondary School List #3

Primary School List #1 Primary School List #2

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Hong Kong Speech Festival – Solo Verse Tips and Advice

8 - 10 June 2024

Venue sponsor dalton school hong kong, accepting late application, event categories, nursery rhyme.

The piece performed must be memorised and recited in spoken format, without melody. No props are allowed.

Age 3 years

Ages 4 - 10 years, ages 5 - 12 years, reading aloud.

The piece performed must be read aloud from the text which should be held in the hand and referred to, not memorised. No props are allowed.

Ages 6 - 10 years

Public speaking.

Each speaker may speak for up to 3 minutes. An easel will be available if the speaker wishes to use a presentation board but this is not compulsory. Cue cards are allowed and optional.

Ages 8 - 12 years

Find your event, the event age is the age your child will be on 11 june 2024.

Please note that your child's event age and current age may not be the same

Please select your child's event age from the bar below TO access the performance pieces

Mary Had a Little Lamb

VENUE SPONSOR

Dalton school, 10 hoi fai rd, tai kok tsui, hong kong.

Competition schedule will be announced via email

(email sent from  [email protected] ) in April 2024.

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Sophomore Edith Mora Martinez represents STC at individual all-state speech festival

PHOTO VIA THE FARMER’S DAUGHTER PHOTOGRAPHY — South Tama County sophomore Edith Mora Martinez recently performed at the IHSSA All-State Individual Speech festival on the UNI campus in Cedar Falls.

In her second year competing, South Tama County sophomore Edith Mora Martinez made it all the way to the highest level — the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA) All-State Festival on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls — with her literary program focused on toxic relationships.

Between large group speech, wrestling, track and field and individual speech, Mora Martinez hasn’t had much downtime to spare over the last few months, but receiving the all-state recognition has definitely made it all worth it. As she explained, a literary program is essentially a compilation of poems and segments of books tying into the aforementioned theme.

“I put them all together, and the way I had my poems kind of aligned was the beginning of my poems started off showing how a relationship is in the beginning, and towards the middle, it’s kind of just like a waterfall,” she said. “It had aspects of domestic violence in it.”

Mora Martinez said there were elements of personal experience in the pieces she compiled, and it was difficult as there were times when she felt vulnerable performing it. Nonetheless, she found her voice through the process and got the chance to expand on a research project about domestic violence she completed for another class.

“When I read it out loud, it wasn’t like it was separate pieces. It almost felt like it was all together. The way I projected myself, I really wanted it to flow, and I was able to accomplish that,” she said.

A few of the sources were poems by Rupi Kaur and the novel “Dreamland’ by Sarah Dessen and another poem called “ A Taste of Your Own Medicine.” There were five pieces in all. Although the performance at All-State was a big stage, Mora Martinez said in the end, it felt like any other time.

“I didn’t feel any pressure either because I wasn’t being scored or anything, and my critic was just giving good feedback, positive feedback,” she said.

Like so many others who have made the decision to participate in speech before her, Mora Martinez feels it has given her more confidence along with the ability to discuss difficult topics without hesitation.

“I think it’s definitely helped me boost my confidence, and I think that will carry along in college. And I’ll be able to use these skills to communicate with my professors and really just have a voice for myself,” she said.

While she has plenty of time to figure out her future plans, Mora Martinez hopes to graduate a semester early and possibly take a gap year, but she’s also considering joining the military. STC Speech Coach Rachel Davis is proud to send another student to all-state and continue the strong Trojan tradition of excellence.

“She has put so much effort in, and I think individual is different from large group because it’s based on the person who’s involved. And so she definitely put in a lot of time outside of our practices that we had, and it was very clear that she was very thoughtful about the pieces she was picking,” Davis said. “I’m also proud, not only for the work that she did, but for the courage that she had to talk about something that’s difficult to talk about for a lot of people.”

The topic, although difficult, was also therapeutic and comforting to know that others have faced similar situations, Davis added. And now that she’s already cleared such a high bar relatively early in her high school career, the sky’s the limit going forward.

“She’s definitely going to grow a lot in the next two years, and we’re so happy to have worked with her and we’re excited to see what she does in the future,” Davis said. “Especially getting to all-state as a sophomore, even, it takes a lot of skill to get there and a lot of talent, so I have good feelings about her future not only in individual speech but after.”

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State speech festival.

• 2024 State Speech Information
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Training for the Hong Kong

Schools Speech Festival (English)

I have a keen interest in speech training. It began in the school I was teaching at in Hong Kong, when I trained a class of students in choral speaking. My interest gained momentum over the years, and I continue to get great pleasure in helping students try their luck at speech performances. Over the years, I have trained hundreds of students, guiding them to successful performances in the annual Hong Kong Speech Festival. My approach is to ensure students understand the poet's intention for writing the poem. I make them aware of the many mood changes throughout the lines. Finally, I guide students through the pronunciation of the more difficult words. I am very happy when youngsters are able to deliver a performance with skill and confidence, while having some fun in the process.

Speech Festival Preparation

We help performers excel in speech festivals and competitive performances. Our students have consistently been placed or have won merit certificates in local and overseas speech festivals. We have also trained large groups for choral speaking competitions.

Brandon can help students to prepare for poetry, prose, monologues, duologues and Bible reading competitions.

Our experienced tutors provide tips based on our experience with speech competitions and will help students with:

• Understanding the pieces; vital to being able to convey meaning
• Practising difficult sounds, reading fluently
• Using pitch, pace and tone to add variety
• Performance techniques
• Projection and breathing techniques
• Overcoming fears

Over 50 Brandon students achieved top three places in the HK Schools’ Speech Festival in the past five years.

NJSDL December 2023 Speech Festival

General information

This is a High School tournament in New Jersey .

View manager contact information

• October 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by October 15, 2023; Asynchronous Judging 10/16/23-10/19/23  
• December 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by December 3, 2023; Asynchronous Judging 12/4/23-12/7/23  
• May 2024 NJSDL Online Speech Festival Registration and videos due by May 1, 2024; Asynchronous Judging 5/2/24-5/7/24
• The October 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.
• The December 2023 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
• The May 2024 NJSDL Online Speech Festival will celebrate Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month
• Congressional Debate Authorship Challenge ( December 2023 Legislation Packet )
• Prepared Prompt ( December 2023 Prompts )
• Orginal Spoken Word Poetry (December 2023 submissions should celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities)

The other NJSDL events offered will be:

• Children's Literature (HS Only)
• Dramatic Performance (MS & HS)
• Humorous Performance (MS & HS)
• Prose Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Poetry Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Program Oral Interpretation (MS & HS)
• Original Oratory (MS & HS)
• Informative Speaking (MS & HS)
• Declamation (MS & HS Freshman/Sophomores)
• Pro Con Challenge (MS & HS using the current Policy, LD or PFD Topics)

Manager contact information

Raymond Shay Email address: [email protected] Phone number: 6107160344

Mailing address

Box #337 203 Main Street Flemington, NJ 08822

Butte County Office of Education

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Computer Science > Computation and Language

Title: speechalign: aligning speech generation to human preferences.

Abstract: Speech language models have significantly advanced in generating realistic speech, with neural codec language models standing out. However, the integration of human feedback to align speech outputs to human preferences is often neglected. This paper addresses this gap by first analyzing the distribution gap in codec language models, highlighting how it leads to discrepancies between the training and inference phases, which negatively affects performance. Then we explore leveraging learning from human feedback to bridge the distribution gap. We introduce SpeechAlign, an iterative self-improvement strategy that aligns speech language models to human preferences. SpeechAlign involves constructing a preference codec dataset contrasting golden codec tokens against synthetic tokens, followed by preference optimization to improve the codec language model. This cycle of improvement is carried out iteratively to steadily convert weak models to strong ones. Through both subjective and objective evaluations, we show that SpeechAlign can bridge the distribution gap and facilitating continuous self-improvement of the speech language model. Moreover, SpeechAlign exhibits robust generalization capabilities and works for smaller models. Code and models will be available at this https URL .

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J. Cole Says He Regrets Kendrick Lamar Diss: ‘The Past Two Days Felt Terrible’

By Steven J. Horowitz

Steven J. Horowitz

Senior Music Writer

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J. Cole has expressed regret for releasing his Kendrick Lamar diss, “7 Minute Drill,” while addressing the crowd during a headlining performance at his Dreamville Festival in North Carolina on Sunday (April 7).

The rapper placed the song last on his surprise new project “Might Delete Later,” which arrived on April 5. On the track, he responded to Lamar’s guest verse on Future and Metro Boomin’s “Like That,” where Lamar fired shots at Drake and J. Cole for designating him as part of “the big three.”

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J.Cole speaks on his response to Kendrick and says it hasn’t felt good or right with his spirit, calling his own response “corny” and telling Kendrick to return his best shot if he feels a way pic.twitter.com/jan2jctfk9 — Glock Topickz (@Glock_Topickz) April 8, 2024

He continued by stating that he felt pressured to publicly respond to Lamar after witnessing the discourse it incited. “I was conflicted because, one I know my heart and I know how I feel about my peers, these two n—s that I just been blessed to even stand beside in this game, let alone chase they greatness. So I felt conflicted ’cause I’m like, bruh I don’t even feel no way. But the world wanna see blood. I don’t know if y’all can feel that, but the world wanna see blood.”

Cole explained that releasing the diss “spiritually [felt] bad on me,” and “that shit don’t sit right with my spirit.” “That shit disrupts my fuckin’ peace. So what I want to say right here tonight is in the midst of me doing that and in that shit, trying to find a little angle and downplay this n—a’s fucking catalog and his greatness, I want to say right now tonight, how many people think Kendrick Lamar is one of the greatest motherfucker’s to ever touch a fuckin’ microphone? Dreamville, y’all love Kendrick Lamar, correct? As do I.

Lamar’s beef with Cole and Drake stems from “First Person Shooter,” a duet between the two included on Drake’s 2023 album “For All the Dogs.” On it, Cole rapped, “Love when they argue the hardest MC / Is it K. Dot? Is it Aubrey? Or me? / We the big three, like we started a league.” On “Like That,” Lamar uncharacteristically fired back, getting right to the point: “Yeah get up with me, fuck sneak dissing / ‘First Person Shooter,’ I hope they came with three switches,” he stated. “Motherfuck the big three, n—a, it’s just big me.”

While Cole may feel some regret over his diss, Drake has only vaguely acknowledged the verse while speaking to a crowd on his current tour. “A lot of people asking me how I’m feeling. The way I’m feeling is the same way I want you to walk out of here feeling tonight about your fucking self,” he said. “Because you know how I’m feeling? I got my head up high, my back straight, I’m 10 fucking toes down, and feeling like anywhere else I go, and I know no matter what, there’s not a n—a on this Earth that can ever fuck with me in my life.”

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Amid Gaza War, College Campuses Become Free Speech “Testing Ground”

Protests at universities are now being met with a wave of censorship and suppression, targeting students most directly.

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The conflict in Gaza has galvanized a new generation of young anti-war activists, in the same way that opposition to the Vietnam War and apartheid South Africa did in decades past. A backlash is now building in the United States, led by right-wing activist and pro-Israel groups aimed at eliminating any public dissent over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

As the death toll of Palestinians rises, a new authoritarian climate is sweeping across the U.S. — particularly on college campuses , which have transformed into laboratories for censorship and surveillance. Intercepted host Murtaza Hussain discusses this new political reality with Sahar Aziz, distinguished professor of law at Rutgers Law School and author of a new report on free speech and discrimination in the context of the Gaza conflict.

Transcript coming soon.

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Event views navigation, beyond hope: kienholz and the inland northwest exhibition.

Join the museum March 26-June 29, for Beyond Hope: Kienholz and the Inland Northwest explores the collaborative artistic practice of Ed and his wife, Nancy Reddin Kienholz, during the decades they spent living and working in the small northern Panhandle town of Hope, Idaho. Renowned for their politically confrontational and...

Subversive Intent: Selections from the Collection Exhibition

On display from 3/26 through 6/29, Subversive Intent: Selections from the Collection brings together seldom-exhibited works from the museum’s permanent collection including graphic masterpieces by William Hogarth, Francisco Goya, and Honoré Daumier, as well as contemporary works by artists Jenny Holzer, Roger Shimomura, Juventino Aranda, and many others. This exhibition...

Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition

Join us for the Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition from 3/26-6/29, the culmination of three or more years of dedication, creativity, and exploration as the MFA students unveil their thought-provoking works. This year’s MFA candidates are Mozi Jones and Reika Okuhara. For families visiting during WSU Family Weekend, this...

Kenworthy presents Copy Cat Cinema

CopyCat Cinema 2024 is here! We are welcoming submissions for this year’s competition. Entrants will re-create a scene from the THE WIZARD OF OZ! Click the following link for rules and guidelines. The submission deadline is April 15 at 11:59 PM. Come and watch all of the submissions and see who wins...

Thursday Night Hangouts

This is for all veterans, active duty, Guard, Reserve, ROTC Cadets/Midshipmen, and their families to join us for activities and camaraderie.

Kenworthy Silent Film Festival

Join us at 7 PM each Thursday in May for films featuring original live music from local artists. Tickets $15 GA, $10 Students, or $50 for a Series Pass. With the support of the Idaho Commission on the Arts, Idaho Humanities Council, and private sponsors, KPAC has commissioned local composers...

RTOP presents Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Before she was hit-maker Carole King — she was Carole Klein, a spunky, young songwriter from Brooklyn with a unique voice. From the chart-topping hits she wrote for the biggest acts in music to her own life-changing, trailblazing success with Tapestry, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical takes you back to where it all began...

Love Lies Bleeding

KPAC presents LOVE LIES BLEEDING. From Director Rose Glass comes an electric new love story; reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family....

UIdaho Parent & Family Weekend

The Student Alumni Relations Board (SArb) is inviting Vandals back to campus April 12-13 for Parent and Family Weekend in Moscow. The schedule of weekend festivities is now confirmed with ticket sales available for applicable events. Find the full schedule of events and purchase tickets here.

Hummingbird Felting Class

Felt a hummingbird with us! little to no experience needed Materials provided Friday April 12 3-5pm $45 Save your spot here: https://www.yarnunderground.com/felting-classes.html

Beyond Hope: Reception and Gallery Talk With Guest Curator Johanna Gosse

Join guest curator Johanna Gosse in the museum galleries on Friday, April 12, from 4:00-6:00 pm for a reception and gallery talk about the exhibition "Beyond Hope: Kienholz and the Inland Northwest". Beyond Hope explores the collaborative artistic practice of artist Ed Kienholz and his wife, Nancy Reddin Kienholz, during the decades...

Bryan Bielanski – Live at Moscow Brewing Company

Imagine Nirvana and the Beatles had a kid together who became an acoustic rock singer-songwriter: that's Bryan Bielanski! Although he is inspired by some of the rock greats like Tom Petty and REM, he has a distinct musical style and lyrics that make you think deep thoughts and feel like...

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What to know about Elon Musk's 'free speech' feud with a Brazilian judge

Elon Musk is clashing with a bald, athletically built Supreme Court justice in Brazil over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation on X

SAO PAULO -- Headline-grabbing billionaire Elon Musk is clashing with a Supreme Court justice in Brazil over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation on X, the social media platform Musk bought when it was Twitter.

Since his takeover, Musk has upended many of Twitter's policies, gutted its staff and transformed what people see on the site. As its owner and perhaps most influential user, he's also used it to try to sway political discourse around the world. His latest entanglement is inside the nation of 203 million people that has the largest population and economy in South America.

The South Africa-born CEO of Tesla and SpaceX bought Twitter in 2022 and declares himself a “free speech absolutist.” To his critics, it's absolutism with a political slant. He reinstated previously banned accounts such as the conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and former U.S. President Donald Trump, as well as accounts belonging to neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Advertisers who halted spending on X in response to antisemitic and other hateful material were engaging in “blackmail," Musk has alleged.

In the United States, free speech is a constitutional right that’s much more permissive than in many countries, including Brazil, where Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes this month ordered an investigation into Musk over the dissemination of defamatory fake news and another probe over possible obstruction, incitement and criminal organization.

In Brazil, judges can order any site to remove content. Some decisions are sealed from the public.

Neither Brazilian courts nor X have disclosed the list of accounts that have been ordered to stop publishing, but prominent supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro and far-right activists no longer appear on the platform.

Some belong to a network known as “digital militias.” They were targeted by a five-year investigation overseen by de Moraes, initially for allegedly spreading defamatory fake news and threats against Supreme Court justices, and then after Bolsonaro's 2022 loss for inciting demonstrations across the country that were pushing to overturn President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's election.

De Moraes is unmistakeable, with his bald head, athletic build and sweeping black robe. In his escalating attacks on the judge, Musk called him “Brazil's Darth Vader.”

Whether investigating former President Jair Bolsonaro, banishing his far-right allies from social media, or ordering the arrest of supporters who stormed government buildings on Jan. 8, 2023, Moraes has aggressively pursued those he views as undermining Brazil’s young democracy.

Days after a mob stormed Brazil’s capital, de Moraes ordered Facebook, Twitter, Telegram, TikTok and Instagram to block the accounts of individuals accused of inciting or supporting attacks on Brazilian democratic order.

Brazil’s political right has long characterized de Moraes as muzzling free speech and engaging in political persecution. Lawmakers from Bolsonaro’s circle have been imprisoned and his supporters’ homes raided.

Bolsonaro himself became a target of the digital militias investigation in 2021. That was partly because he was casting unfounded doubt on Brazil's electronic voting system. That year, he also told a massive rally that he would no longer comply with de Moraes’ decisions, pushing Brazil to the brink of institutional crisis.

Far-right X users have been trying to involve Musk in Brazilian politics for years, said Bruna Santos, lawyer and campaign manager at nonprofit Digital Action.

“They often tag him, asking him to take a stand on Moraes,” she said.

On Saturday, he did, republishing a post from X’s Global Government Affairs, tagging de Moraes and writing: “Why are you doing this @alexandre?”

Musk posted Saturday that reinstating the accounts — most of which apparently are blocked only in Brazil — will “probably” lead the social media platform to dry up revenue in Brazil and force the company to shutter its local office.

In his decision to investigate Musk, de Moraes accused him of waging a public “disinformation campaign” about the top court’s actions.

While Musk has railed against what he perceives as the censorship of certain viewpoints by Twitter's previous administration, he's also tried to silence critics he doesn't agree with, including journalists and nonprofits reporting on his companies.

Musk had accused the journalists in late 2022 of sharing private information about his whereabouts that he described as “basically assassination coordinates.” He provided no evidence for that claim, though earlier Musk decided to permanently ban an account that automatically tracked the flights of his private jet using publicly available data.

Last month, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit by X against the non-profit Center for Countering Digital Hate, which has documented the increase in hate speech on the site since it was acquired by the Tesla owner.

X had argued the center’s researchers violated the site’s terms of service by improperly compiling public tweets, and that its subsequent reports on the rise of hate speech cost X millions of dollars when advertisers fled.

But U.S. District Court Judge Charles Breyer dismissed the suit, writing in his order that it was “unabashedly and vociferously about one thing,” punishing the nonprofit for its speech.

Brazil is a key market for X and other platforms. About 40 million Brazilians, or about 18% of the population, access X at least once per month, according to the market research group eMarketer.

Twitter closed offices and laid off employees in Brazil in 2022 after Musk bought the company. It is not clear how many employees X has in Brazil.

X’s legal representatives in Brazil, law firm Pinheiro Neto, declined to comment. X did not respond to a message for comment.

That depends on Musk and X’s actions. If they reinstate the accounts in Brazil, the company will face fines — at least. While fines have generally not phased Musk, experts say they could increase and X could even face suspension.

“The fines could escalate, eventually leading to the platform’s suspension. But this is always the last measure, as it harms other users in Brazil,” said Filipe Medon, a data privacy lawyer and professor at the Getulio Vargas Foundation.

Regarding Musk — a foreign citizen with a company based in the U.S. — any measures from Brazilian authorities would demand legal cooperation with U.S. authorities.

Ortutay reported from San Francisco, California.

This story has been corrected to reflect that free speech is a constitutional right in Brazil.

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Moscow concert attack: More than 60 reported dead; ISIS claims responsibility

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What we know about the Moscow concert attack

• Men in camouflage broke into a Moscow concert hall and opened fire, shooting an unknown number of people, Russia’s prosecutor general said.
• The terror group ISIS has claimed responsibility but did not provide proof of the claim, which was made on ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram.
• Russia's Investigative Committee said that more than 60 people are dead after the attack at Crocus City Hall. Officials have said more than 100 others were injured.
• A fire also started inside Crocus City Hall, a large concert venue northwest of central Moscow. Firefighters have evacuated about 100 people from the basement of the building and efforts are underway to rescue people from the roof, Russian emergency officials said.
• Russia officials said they were investigating the attack as a terrorist act.
• A popular rock band was scheduled to play what appeared to be a sold-out show at the venue, which has a maximum capacity of more than 9,000 people.

Three children among those killed, state media reports

Chantal Da Silva

Three children were among the more than 60 people killed in yesterday's attack at Crocus City Hall, Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Health.

Officials have warned that the death toll connected to the deadly incident may increase as the investigation continues.

Xi sends condolences to Putin

Chinese President Xi Jinping sent condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday after a deadly shooting at a concert hall near Moscow, saying China opposes all forms of terrorism and strongly condemns terrorist attacks.

China firmly supports the Russian government’s efforts to maintain national security and stability, Xi said, according to CCTV state television. 

Moscow bloodshed comes two decades after some of worst attacks in Russia

Phil Helsel

The shooting attacks in Moscow are the latest in a series of deadly terror attacks in the country since the 2000s.

In 2004, militants from Chechnya and elsewhere took hostages at a school in Beslan in southern Russia.

The militants demanded a withdrawal from Chechnya. Hostages were kept in a gymnasium, and 334 died — half of them children — when gunfire and explosions erupted when it was stormed. Hostages’ families were critical of the rescue operation. Russian prosecutors later cleared authorities .

Two years prior, in 2002, Chechen separatists attacked the Dubrovka Theater in Moscow and took more than 700 people hostage. Russian forces used gas, and 129 hostages died. The attackers were killed.

More recently, in 2017 a suicide bomber from Kyrgyzstan killed 15 people as well as himself in an attack on a St. Petersburg subway. In 2013, two bombers killed a combined 34 people in attacks on a railway station and a trolleybus in Volgograd.

The group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attacks Friday at the Crocus City Hall venue.

Putin wishes victims well, deputy prime minister says

President Vladimir Putin is thinking of those injured in today’s attack and thanked doctors, a Russian government official said according to state media.

State media TASS reported that “Putin wished all those injured in the emergency at Crocus City Hall to recover and conveyed his gratitude to the doctors, Golikova said,” referring to Tatiana Golikova deputy prime minister for social policy, labor, health and pension provision.

More than 60 dead, and death toll could grow, Russian agency says

Russia’s Investigative Committee said Saturday that more than 60 people have died in the attack, and warned the number may increase.

“The bodies of the dead are being examined. It has been previously established that more than 60 people died as a result of the terrorist attack. Unfortunately, the number of victims may increase,” according to the Investigative Committee, which is a federal state agency.

Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs and the security agency FSB are continuing to investigate, the committee said in a statement, and weapons and ammunition have been found.

U.S. warned Russia about planned terrorist attack in Moscow, NSC says

Monica Alba

The United States shared information about a potential terrorist attack in Moscow with Russia’s government earlier this month, a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.

The U.S. Embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds and said it was monitoring reports that extremists might attack large gatherings in Moscow.

“Earlier this month, the U.S. Government had information about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow — potentially targeting large gatherings, to include concerts — which prompted the State Department to issue a public advisory to Americans in Russia,” NSC spokesperson Adrienne Watson said.

“The U.S. Government also shared this information with Russian authorities in accordance with its longstanding ‘duty to warn’ policy,” Watson said.

Putin recently dismissed ‘provocative’ warning about potential attacks

In remarks that aired three days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the West of “provocative statements” about potential terror attacks in Russia, and dismissed them.

“I’ll remind you of recent, let’s say directly, provocative statements of certain official Western structures about potential terror attacks in Russia,” Putin said.

“All of this looks like obvious blackmail and an attempt to intimidate, destabilize our country,” he said before the state security agency FSB.

Putin in those remarks did not specify a country or warning. The U.S. embassy in Russia on March 7 warned U.S. citizens to avoid crowds .

“The Embassy is monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours,” the U.S. embassy warned.

Guards at concert hall didn't have guns, state news says

The Associated Press

Guards at the concert hall didn’t have guns, and some could have been killed at the start of the attack, Russian media reported.

Some Russian news outlets suggested the assailants fled before special forces and riot police arrived.

Reports said police patrols were looking for several vehicles the attackers could have used to escape.

U.S. had been gathering intelligence that ISIS could attack Russia

Ken Dilanian

The U.S. had been gathering intelligence for months that ISIS could mount a mass casualty attack in Russia, two U.S. officials confirmed to NBC News.

That information led to a March 7 warning issued by the U.S. embassy in Russia about possible extremist attacks, including at concerts, urging people to stay away from large gatherings, one of the officials said.

That official said the claim of responsibility today by ISIS appears to be genuine, though no final assessment had been made about who was responsible.

Some Moscow concertgoers filmed events as they unfolded Friday night, when gunmen opened fire inside a theater and people ran to take cover in fear for their lives.

Witness says gunfire was first thought to be construction noise

A witness to today’s armed attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall told a state news agency that they first mistook the gunfire for sounds of an installation being dismantled.

“First, we started hearing typical loud pops, but it was impossible to understand that they were gunshots. We thought that something was falling, as exhibitions were being dismantled at that moment, and someone seemed to be dropping something large,” Mikhail Semyonov told TASS .

“Then, the bangs were getting more and more frequent. Suddenly, there was a scream, and the bangs started to be heard as bursts. Then it became clear that it was shooting,” he said.

ISIS claims responsibility for attack but does not provide proof

The terror group Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow.

The group, also known as ISIS, did not provide any proof of its claim, which came from ISIS-affiliated news agency Amaq on Telegram.

The group’s members have carried out a number of terror attacks, including the 2015 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

Children among the victims, Russia's children commissioner says

Yuliya Talmazan

Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights, Maria Lvova-Belova, said children were among the victims of tonight's attack.

"Information about their condition is regularly updated," Lvova-Belova said on Telegram. "Any additional assistance will be provided immediately."

She later told Russia 24 TV channel that at least two children had been injured, including one boy with a gunshot wound.

Earlier, Russian officials released a preliminary casualty toll of at least 40 people dead and more than 100 injured.

France, U.K., Germany condemn attack

Officials from France, the U.K. and Germany were among those who expressed their condolences to the victims of the attack at the Crocus concert hall.

"The images of the terrible attack on innocent people in Crocus City Hall near #Moscow are horrific," Germany's Foreign Office said on X . "The background must be investigated quickly. Our deepest condolences with the families of the victims."

"We condemn the terrorist attack in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow," the U.K.'s embassy in Russia said . "This is a terrible tragedy."

Meanwhile, France's foreign ministry called for "full light" to be shed on "these heinous acts."

Public events across Russia called off after attack

Several regional leaders across Russia, including in the annexed Kherson region of Ukraine, have canceled public events this weekend over security considerations after the deadly concert attack in Moscow.

Shortly after the attack, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin canceled all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend. State news agency TASS also quoted Russia's cultural ministry as saying that mass and entertainment events in federal cultural institutions have been canceled in the coming days.

Zelenskyy adviser speaks out about attack

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s adviser denied that Ukraine was involved in the deadly Crocus concert hall attack.

“Ukraine certainly has nothing to do with the shooting/explosions in the Crocus City Hall (Moscow Region, Russia),” Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on X. “It makes no sense whatsoever.”

No evidence has emerged to suggest Ukraine may have been involved, but Ukrainian officials may be trying to pre-empt accusations, as some Kremlin hawks have already started pointing at Kyiv. 

Asked whether the shooting was at all tied to the war in Ukraine, U.S. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said: “There is no indication at this time that Ukraine, or Ukrainians, were involved in the shooting, but again, this just broke. We’re taking a look at it, but I would disabuse you at this early hour have any connection to Ukraine.”

Videos posted to social media appear to show chaos inside Moscow's Crocus City Hall during and after a terrorist attack.

Some videos include what sound like gunshots and show men with rifles, as concertgoers frantically try to exit the venue.

State Department issues warning to Americans in Moscow

Jason Abbruzzese

The State Department said that the U.S. Embassy in Moscow is aware of the terrorist attack on Crocus City Hall and that U.S. citizens should avoid the area and follow the instructions of local authorities.

"The U.S. government’s ability to provide routine or emergency services to U.S. citizens in Russia is severely limited, particularly in areas far from the U.S. embassy in Moscow, due to Russian government limitations on travel for U.S. embassy personnel and staffing, and the ongoing suspension of operations, including consular services, at U.S. consulates in Russia," the State Department said in a message posted to its website .

'What a nightmare in Crocus,' Widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny condolences about concert attack

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny who died in prison last month, expressed her condolences about the attack Friday.

"What a nightmare in Crocus," Navalnaya wrote on X. "Condolences to the families of the victims and quick recovery to the injured. Everyone involved in this crime must be found and held accountable."

320 firefighters, 3 helicopters working to put out fire

Russia's Ministry of Emergency Situations said the number of rescue crews responding to the attack is growing and now includes more than 320 firefighters, 130 emergency vehicles and three helicopters dumping water on the burning concert venue.

Moscow regional governor says 40 dead, more than 100 injured

Moscow Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov said on Telegram that at least 40 people are dead and more than 100 injured in the terrorist attack, confirming figures previously reported by Russian state news.

Putin informed about concert venue attack 'in the first minutes,' Kremlin spokesperson says

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin was informed about the shooting at the Crocus concert hall "in the first minutes" of the attack, Russian state news agency RIA reported.

The president is receiving information about what is happening and the measures being taken through all relevant services and is giving necessary instructions, Peskov said according to RIA.

Russian journalist was inside concert venue when gunmen entered

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said on Telegram that one of its reporters was inside the venue when gunmen entered and began shooting concertgoers.

The journalist said that at least three unmasked gunmen in camouflage entered the hall a few minutes before 8 p.m. Moscow time. They shot people point-blank and threw incendiary bombs, according to the journalist.

Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson calls incident 'bloody terrorist attack'

Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry, called the Friday night incident at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow a "bloody terrorist attack" as she called for "strong condemnation" from the international community.

"Now, as the Russian authorities have stated, all efforts are being devoted to saving people," Zakharova said. "The entire world community is obliged to condemn this monstrous crime!"

U.S. national security spokesperson says embassy has told Americans to avoid large gatherings in Moscow

Kyla Guilfoil

National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby addressed the attack in Moscow at a White House press briefing Friday afternoon, calling it a “terrible, terrible shooting attack.”

“The images are just horrible and just hard to watch and our thoughts obviously are going to be with the the victims,” Kirby said.

Kirby added that the U.S. embassy has notified all Americans in Moscow to avoid large gatherings, concerts, shopping malls, etc., and “stay put where they are” for their safety.

Russian media says 40 dead, more than 100 injured at concert attack

TASS, Russia's state-owned news agency, and RIA Novosti are reporting that Russia's FSB security agency has put the preliminary casualty count at 40 dead and more than 100 injured by a terrorist attack on a Moscow-area concert venue.

NBC News has not confirmed those casualty numbers.

Roof of concert venue at risk of collapse, Russian media says

Russian news agency RIA Novosti said on Telegram that the roof of the building near the concert venue's stage has begun to collapse.

Video posted to Telegram by RIA Novosti showed fire continue to blaze inside the venue.

Moscow area governor says more than 70 ambluances at scene of attack

Andrei Vorobyov, Moscow's regional governor, said on Telegram that more than 70 ambulances have been dispatched to the scene of concert venue attack.

“Everything is being done at the scene to save people," he wrote in the Telegram message. "The Special Rapid Response Unit (SOBR) has been deployed. There are over 70 ambulance carriages near Crocus, doctors provide the necessary assistance to all victims."

Nigel Chiwaya

Russia’s prosecutor general office says number of victims still being determined

Russia's prosecutor general said on Telegram that officials are working to determine how many people have been killed or hurt in the concert attack.

“On behalf of Igor Krasnov, the prosecutor of the Moscow region has gone to the scene of the incident at Crocus City Hall to coordinate the actions of law enforcement agencies," the prosecutor general's Telegram account posted. "Tonight, before the start of the event in the concert hall in Krasnogorsk, unknown men in camouflage clothes broke into the building and started shooting."

"The number of victims is being determined, a fire started in the entertainment center building, and citizens are being evacuated."

Moscow's mayor cancels weekend events

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram that he was canceling all public events in Moscow this weekend.

"I have taken the decision to cancel all sports, cultural and other public events in Moscow this weekend," he said. "I ask of you to treat this measure with understanding."

Popular rock band was to play sold-out venue that can hold 9,500

Tim Stelloh

A popular rock band was scheduled to play what appeared to be a sold-out show at the Moscow concert hall where there were reports of gunmen in combat fatigues opening fire.

Picnic, formed in 1978, was to play at Crocus City Hall, west of central Moscow.

The multilevel facility in Krasnogorsk has a maximum capacity of 9,527 people. Booking sites show the event was sold out.

Russia's aviation agency says additional security added to Moscow airports

The Russian aviation agency Rosaviatsiya said that additional security measures are being introduced in Moscow airports

"Due to increased security measures, we ask passengers to arrive at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports in advance," the agency said on the Telegram messaging app.

Moscow's emergency ministry says it is working to extinguish fire

Moscow’s emegency ministry said it was working to extinguish a fire that began at the music venue.

The ministry said about 100 people were evacuated from the building, and it was working to rescue people from the roof.

Russian media says state security taking action

Russia's news outlet RIA Novosti said that the country's security agency, the FSB, is taking measures to respond to the shooting at a concert hall near Moscow.

Videos posted by Russian media show men with rifles moving through area

Extended rounds of gunfire could be heard on multiple videos posted by Russian media and Telegram channels. One showed two men with rifles moving through a concert hall. Another one showed a man inside the auditorium, saying the assailants set it on fire, with incessant gunshots ringing out in the background.

Andrei Vorobyov, the governor of the Moscow region, said he was heading to the area and set up a task force to deal with the damage. He didn’t immediately offer any further details.

Russian media reports said that riot police units were being sent to the area as people were being evacuated.

Russian news outlets report gunman opened fire at Moscow concert hall

Several gunmen in combat fatigues burst into a big concert hall in Moscow on Friday and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people, Russian media said.

Russian news reports said that the assailants also used explosives, causing a massive blaze at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow. Video posted on social media showed huge plumes of black smoke rising over the building.

Russia’s state RIA Novosti news agency reported that at least three people in combat fatigues fired weapons. The state Tass news agency also reported the shooting.

U.S. warned of imminent Moscow attack by ‘extremists,’ urges citizens to avoid crowds

Patrick Smith

U.S. citizens in  Moscow  had been warned to avoid large gatherings earlier this month because of heightened fears of a terrorist attack.

The U.S. Embassy in the Russian capital said it was “monitoring reports that extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings in Moscow, to include concerts, and U.S. citizens should be advised to avoid large gatherings over the next 48 hours.”

U.S. citizens should avoid crowds, monitor local media for updates and “be aware of your surroundings,” it said in a brief  online update .

Read the full story here.

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Putin says gunmen who raided Moscow concert hall tried to escape to Ukraine. Kyiv denies involvement

Russia’s Federal Security Service says at least 60 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in an attack at a Moscow concert hall. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Putin suggests Ukraine was linked to deadly attack on Moscow-area concert hall

At least 133 people were killed and more than 100 were wounded in an attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall. Russian President Vladimir Putin says authorities have arrested four men suspected of carrying out the attack.

In this photo taken from video released by the Investigative Committee of Russia on Saturday, March 23, 2024, firefighter work in the burned concert hall after an attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. (Investigative Committee of Russia via AP)

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People place flowers and toys by the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A woman reacts as she place flowers by the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Russian officials say more than 90 people have been killed by assailants who burst into a concert hall and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)

Bodies of victims are loaded into vehicles at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Russian officials say more than 60 people have been killed and over 100 injured by assailants who burst into a concert hall and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. (AP Photo)

A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 22, 2024. Several gunmen have burst into a big concert hall in Moscow and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and setting a massive blaze in an attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. (Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via AP)

A view of the burnt Crocus City Hall after an attack, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

People place flowers by the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks on the photo in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that authorities have detained 11 people in the attack on a suburban Moscow concert hall that killed at least 115 people and left the sprawling venue a smoldering ruin. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)

People react next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In this photo taken from video released by Investigative Committee of Russia on Saturday, March 23, 2024, a Kalashnikov assault rifle lies on the ground as Investigators from the Investigative Committee of Russia together with the operational units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the FSB, work the scene after an attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. Several gunmen burst into a big concert hall in Moscow and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and setting a massive blaze in an apparent terror attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. (Investigative Committee of Russia via AP)

People stand at a body of a victim near the burning building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 22, 2024. Several gunmen burst into a big concert hall in Moscow and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and setting a massive blaze in an apparent terror attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. (AP Photo)

People lineup to donate blood to help victims of the attack in Crocus City Hall, near the Blood Center of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency, in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Over 90 people were killed, including three children, authorities said. (Denis Voronin/Moscow News Agency via AP)

A man places flowers on the fence near the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Over 90 people were killed, including at least three children, authorities said. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)

A view of the Crocus City Hall burned after an attack is seen on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Assailants burst into a large concert hall in Moscow on Friday and sprayed the crowd with gunfire, killing and injuring multiple people and setting fire to the venue in a brazen attack just days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on power in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)

Bodies of victims are loaded into vehicles at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Over 90 people were killed authorities said. (AP Photo)

A woman reacts as she comes to place flowers at the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Russian officials say more than 90 people have been killed by assailants who burst into a concert hall and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. (AP Photo/Vitaly Smolnikov)

Traffic on the highway passes a message displayed on a billboard that reads: “We Mourn 03.22.2024" in Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday, for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. Russian officials say more than 90 people have been killed by assailants who burst into a concert hall and sprayed the crowd with gunfire. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

In this photo released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Saturday, March 23, 2024, firefighters work in the burned concert hall after an attack on the building of the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia. (Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service via AP)

A woman lights candles at the fence next to the Crocus City Hall, on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Saturday, March 23, 2024. Russia’s top state investigative agency says the death toll in the Moscow concert hall attack has risen to over 133. The attack Friday on Crocus City Hall, a sprawling mall and concert venue on Moscow’s western edge, also left many wounded and left the building a smoldering ruin. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

People lay flowers tributes outside of the Russian embassy in Paris, Saturday, March 23, 2024, following an attack Friday on the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow for which the Islamic State group claimed responsibility. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

A Russian Rosguardia (National Guard) servicemen secures an area as a massive blaze seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 22, 2024. Several gunmen have burst into a big concert hall in Moscow and fired automatic weapons at the crowd, injuring an unspecified number of people and setting a massive blaze in an apparent terror attack days after President Vladimir Putin cemented his grip on the country in a highly orchestrated electoral landslide. (AP Photo)

MOSCOW (AP) — The suburban Moscow music hall where gunmen opened fire on concertgoers was a blackened, smoldering ruin Saturday as the death toll in the attack surpassed 130 and Russian authorities arrested four suspects. President Vladimir Putin claimed they were captured while fleeing to Ukraine.

Kyiv strongly denied any involvement in Friday’s assault on the Crocus City Hall music venue in Krasnogorsk, and the Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate claimed responsibility.

Putin did not mention IS in his speech to the nation, and Kyiv accused him and other Russian politicians of falsely linking Ukraine to the assault to stoke fervor for Russia’s war in Ukraine, which recently entered its third year .

U.S. intelligence officials confirmed the claim by the IS affiliate.

“ISIS bears sole responsibility for this attack. There was no Ukrainian involvement whatsoever,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.

The U.S. shared information with Russia in early March about a planned terrorist attack in Moscow and issued a public warning to Americans in Russia, Watson said.

Putin said authorities detained a total of 11 people in the attack, which also wounded more than 100. He called it “a bloody, barbaric terrorist act” and said Russian authorities captured the four suspects as they were trying to escape to Ukraine through a “window” prepared for them on the Ukrainian side of the border.

Russian media broadcast videos that apparently showed the detention and interrogation of the suspects, including one who told the cameras he was approached by an unidentified assistant to an Islamic preacher via a messaging app and paid to take part in the raid.

Russian news reports identified the gunmen as citizens of Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia that is predominantly Muslim and borders Afghanistan. Up to 1.5 million Tajiks have worked in Russia and many have Russian citizenship.

Tajikistan’s foreign ministry, which denied initial Russian media reports that mentioned several other Tajiks allegedly involved in the raid, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the arrests.

Many Russian hard-liners called for a crackdown on Tajik migrants, but Putin appeared to reject the idea, saying “no force will be able to sow the poisonous seeds of discord, panic or disunity in our multi-ethnic society.”

He declared Sunday a day of mourning and said additional security measures were imposed throughout Russia.

The number of dead stood at 133, making the attack the deadliest in Russia in years. Authorities said the toll could still rise.

The raid was a major embarrassment for the Russian leader and happened just days after he cemented his grip on the country for another six years in a vote that followed the harshest crackdown on dissent since the Soviet times.

Some commentators on Russian social media questioned how authorities, who have relentlessly suppressed any opposition activities and muzzled independent media, failed to prevent the attack despite the U.S. warnings.

The assault came two weeks after the U.S. Embassy in Moscow issued a notice urging Americans to avoid crowded places in view of “imminent” plans by extremists to target large Moscow gatherings, including concerts. Several other Western embassies repeated the warning. Earlier this week, Putin denounced the warning as an attempt to intimidate Russians.

Investigators on Saturday combed through the charred wreckage of the hall for more victims. Hundreds of people stood in line in Moscow to donate blood and plasma, Russia’s health ministry said.

Putin’s claim that the attackers tried to flee to Ukraine followed comments by Russian lawmakers who pointed the finger at Ukraine immediately after the attack.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy angrily rejected Moscow’s accusations as an attempt by Putin and his lieutenants to shift the blame to Ukraine while treating their own people as “expendables.”

“They are burning our cities — and they are trying to blame Ukraine,” he said in a statement on his messaging app channel. “They torture and rape our people — and they blame them. They drove hundreds of thousands of their terrorists here to fight us on our Ukrainian soil, and they don’t care what happens inside their own country.”

A massive blaze is seen over the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 22, 2024. (Sergei Vedyashkin/Moscow News Agency via AP)

Images shared by Russian state media showed emergency vehicles still gathered outside the ruins of the concert hall, which could hold more than 6,000 people and hosted many big events, including the 2013 Miss Universe beauty pageant that featured Donald Trump .

On Friday, crowds were at the venue for a concert by the Russian rock band Picnic.

Videos posted online showed gunmen in the venue shooting civilians at point-blank range. Russian news reports cited authorities and witnesses as saying the attackers threw explosive devices that started the fire, which eventually consumed the building and caused its roof to collapse.

Dave Primov, who survived the attack, told the AP that the gunmen were “shooting directly into the crowd” in the front rows. He described the chaos in the hall as concertgoers raced to escape: “People began to panic, started to run and collided with each other. Some fell down and others trampled on them.”

After he and others crawled out of the hall into nearby utility rooms, he said he heard pops from small explosives and smelled burning as the attackers set the building ablaze. By the time they got out of the massive building 25 minutes later, it was engulfed in flames.

“Had it been just a little longer, we could simply get stuck there in the fire,” Primov said.

Messages of outrage, shock and support for the victims and their families streamed in from around the world.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement that the U.S. condemned the attack and noted that the Islamic State group is a “common terrorist enemy that must be defeated everywhere.”

IS, which lost much of its ground after Russia’s military action in Syria, has long targeted Russia. In a statement posted by the group’s Aamaq news agency, IS’s Afghanistan affiliate said it had attacked a large gathering of “Christians” in Krasnogorsk.

The group issued a new statement Saturday on Aamaq saying the attack was carried out by four men who used automatic rifles, a pistol, knives and firebombs. It said the assailants fired at the crowd and used knives to kill some concertgoers, casting the raid as part of IS’s ongoing war with countries that it says are fighting Islam.

In October 2015, a bomb planted by IS downed a Russian passenger plane over Sinai, killing all 224 people on board, most of them Russian vacation-goers returning from Egypt.

The group, which operates mainly in Syria and Iraq but also in Afghanistan and Africa, also has claimed several attacks in Russia’s volatile Caucasus and other regions in the past years. It recruited fighters from Russia and other parts of the former Soviet Union.

Russian Rosguardia (National Guard) servicemen secure an area at the Crocus City Hall on the western edge of Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, March 23, 2024. (Alexander Avilov/Moscow News Agency via AP)

The group’s Afghanistan affiliate is known variously as ISIS-K or IS-K, taking its name from Khorasan Province, a region that covered much of Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia in the Middle Ages.

The affiliate has thousands of fighters who have repeatedly carried out attacks in Afghanistan since the country was seized in 2021 by the Taliban, a group with which they are at bitter odds.

ISIS-K was behind the August 2021 suicide bombing at Kabul airport that left 13 American troops and about 170 Afghans dead during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal. They also claimed responsibility for a bomb attack in Kerman, Iran, in January that killed 95 people at a memorial procession.

On March 7, just hours before the U.S. Embassy warned about imminent attacks, Russia’s top security agency said it had thwarted an attack on a synagogue in Moscow by an IS cell and killed several of its members in the Kaluga region near the Russian capital. A few days before that, Russian authorities said six alleged IS members were killed in a shootout in Ingushetia, in Russia’s Caucasus region.

Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo in Washington and Colleen Long in Wilmington, Delaware, contributed to this report.