‘We’re all in shock’. U.S. police launch murder investigation after Russian man found ‘lying in a pool of blood’ in tent at Burning Man

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The tent at Burning Man where Vadim Kruglov was killed

A Russian man was found dead at the Burning Man arts festival in the Nevada desert over the weekend. He was reportedly found “lying in a pool of blood,” and U.S. authorities are investigating his death as a homicide. Here’s what we know so far about the incident.

A 37-year-old Russian man named Vadim Kruglov was found dead at the Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the local sheriff’s office reported on Wednesday. Authorities identified the victim through fingerprint analysis and have notified Kruglov’s family. Police say they are investigating the incident as a homicide and searching for a suspect.

An Instagram post from Kruglov’s friend Sofya Shcherbakova calling on everyone who saw him at Burning Man to help reconstruct his final days

According to the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, Kruglov’s body was discovered on August 30 and reported to police at 9:14 p.m. local time that day. A festival attendee told officers he had found a person “lying in a pool of blood.” The outlet Vot Tak noted that the body was discovered during the burning of The Man, the wooden effigy at the center of the festival’s signature ritual. Responding officers cordoned off the area and began collecting evidence.

Chris Ragle, another attendee, said the killing happened inside a tent set up not far from his own. “Neighbors heard a loud argument which apparently turned into a stabbing. Campers that were interviewed by authorities told me they were asked if they’ve seen anyone with a Bowie knife in the area,” Ragle said. He posted a photo of the tent where the incident occurred. According to him, when he and other festivalgoers later entered the tent, they saw that a large piece of carpet had been cut out of the floor, presumably where the stabbing took place.

Vot Tak reports that Vadim Kruglov was originally from the Siberian city of Omsk, where he graduated from college. He moved to the United States in 2016, first living in Alaska, where he worked providing security for ships. He later relocated to Michigan, where he laid Internet cable, according to his friend Vitaly.

“We’re all in shock. He was a peaceful, kind, and open person. The last time we spoke was two weeks ago. He didn’t mention going to Burning Man, he just said everything was good and joked that Putin and Trump are cool,” Vitaly told Vot Tak.

The sheriff’s office told ABC News that the investigation is complicated by the fact that Black Rock City is a temporary settlement that disappears once festivalgoers leave. Authorities also noted that there are no surveillance cameras in the area to aid the investigation. Burning Man organizers said they are “cooperating with law enforcement.”