Earlier that Wednesday, September 1, 2004, the children and parents had been outside, preparing to celebrate the first day of school in Beslan, a small town in Alania, Russia.
وفجأة ،‏ اقتحم اكثر من ٣٠ مسلَّحا وانتحاريًّا المدرسة وبدأوا بالصياح وإطلاق النار في الهواء .‏