The Armenian police said it occurred in the courtyard of a house in the city’s northern Kanaker suburb. Police officers found two assault rifles and four pistols at the scene.
The Investigative Committee said later in the day that four people have been arrested in connection with what was one of the deadliest shootings in Armenia’s recent history. The law-enforcement agency did not identify them or comment on possible causes of the bloodshed.
Armenian media reports said the victims included Artur Ghazarian, a 42-year-old underworld figure nicknamed “Tuy,” and Artyush Simonian, a former parliament deputy and business executive.
Both men lived in Kanaker. Armlur.am reported that Simonian, 61, returned to Armenia from the Netherlands on Monday.
The publication also said investigators believe that the overnight killings were either the result of a bitter dispute between two groups of men gathered in the Kanaker house or an armed attack carried out by a third party.