Prosecutor requests 17-year jail sentence for movie theater shooter

RIGA - Prosecutor Jekaterina Kusakova has requested that lawyer Nikolajs Zikovs be sentenced to 17 years in jail for the shooting death of a noted banker in the "Forum Cinemas" theater in February, 2011.

Zikovs has been charged according to the Criminal Law's Section 117, Part 3 - murder that endangers the lives of more than one person.

As reported, Zikovs shot and killed the head of "Citadele" bank's Department of Assets and Liabilities Aigars Egle in Riga's "Forum Cinemas" multiplex on Feb. 19, 2011.

Egle was a father of four children. He was slain in front of his daughter after he reproached the assailant for his loud behavior in the theater.

According to eyewitnesses, during the movie "Black Swan," Zikovs was loudly eating popcorn and commenting on the movie, and not reacting to other audience members' objections.

Egle and Zikovs began arguing as they got up to exit after the movie was over. Zikovs then pulled out a gun and fired several shots at Egle, killing him. Fellow audience members caught Zikovs as he was trying to flee; he was later handed over to State Police.