Bio

Nodar Atuashvili was born in 1974. Official statements and news reports did not give details about his childhood, family, or education. He served in the Georgian armed forces from 2006 to 2021. His military service included deployment to Afghanistan.

Murder Story

On 20 January 2023, a man opened fire from his apartment balcony in Sagarejo, Kakheti, Georgia with an automatic weapon. Four people were killed and five others were severely wounded. A police officer who responded, Chief Lieutenant Otar Gvinashvili, was also fatally shot. The shooting ended when the perpetrator shot himself and died.

The shooter was identified as 49-year-old Nodar Atuashvili, a former member of the armed forces who served from 2006 to 2021, including service in Afghanistan. The Minister of Internal Affairs said the attacker killed five people, including the police officer, and wounded five others before shooting himself shortly after additional police teams and a special unit arrived. Investigators said Atuashvili had been inside the building with his adult son, who fled when the shooting began. A motive has not been established and is under investigation.

Several Georgian politicians expressed condolences to the victims’ families. Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili offered his "sincere condolences" and wished the wounded a speedy recovery. President Salome Zourabichvili mourned the loss of a police officer "performing his professional duties." The U.S. Embassy in Georgia wrote, "The U.S. Embassy mourns the tragic deaths in the recent shooting that took place in Sagarejo."