The teenager responsible for the school attack in Chelyabinsk had a background in chess and lived with his family. His father, 41-year-old Arthur K., was actively involved in chess, both playing and teaching, and introduced his son to the sport. Arthur also took his son to a karate section, where the boy regularly participated in tournaments.

In 2023, the attacker's father took to social media to share about a conflict with neighbors. A classmate of his son, who resided in the same building, left unpleasant messages about the boy on the intercom. Furthermore, the bully's mother was involved in an incident where she almost assaulted Arthur's wife.