Terrorist attack at Gallente-Minmatar cultural festival leaves dozens dead, hundreds wounded

At 11:57 this morning, a lone gunman assaulted a crowd of spectators at the Luminaire Center for Culture and The Arts in the city of Caille on the planet of Gallente Prime, killing at least 58 people and wounding 304 others. The crowd had been assembled for the inaugural address of the Federal Tribes Festival of Community and Culture, held in Caille every year with the stated aim of "fostering and nurturing the relations that have kept the bond between Gallente and Minmatar strong since the days of the revolution."

The identities of the victims have not been disclosed, but known to be present were several visiting Minmatar dignitaries and entertainment celebrities, as well as a significant number of their Gallente colleagues. Just prior to the shooting, the gunman detonated explosives in several locations around the facility, disabling key security measures and killing a number of personnel as well as several bystanders both inside the building and outside. He then opened fire with a high-powered automatic weapon from a hidden vantage point above the main conference hall. Approximately ten minutes later, upon learning the building was surrounded, he reportedly gave himself up to police without resistance.

As no details have been released, the shooter's identity, nationality and motivations are all unknown at this point. The facilities are in the process of being evacuated and a perimeter has been set up around the neighboring area, with relief personnel working to assist the wounded, and city sentinel services working to put out the fires caused by the six separate explosions that occurred in tandem.

The Office of the President has released a statement urging citizens to remain calm and proclaiming that the Federation will not be subdued in its values by extremists of any stripe. The statement also expresses condolences towards the families of the victims in what is now increasingly being classified as a full-blown terrorist incident, the largest of its kind to take place in the Gallente Federation in several decades.