Assen Iliev, aged 67, shot three teenagers, killing one of them, in the town of Trun, western Bulgaria, close to the Serbian border. The incident happened at about 11am on March 12, Focus news agency said.

After shooting the three youngsters, Iliev ran away from the scene and shot himself with his legally-owned rifle, Focus said. The three children are from the town's home for abandoned children.

One girl, aged 15, was shot dead, and the other two, a boy aged 12 and a girl aged 15, were injured in the arms and taken to hospital.

According to Focus, the murdered girl had filed a complaint against Iliev, accusing him of raping her. Iliev had a criminal record, Trun's mayor Tanya Ivanova told Dnevnik daily. He has't worked in the home, she said.