On 1 September 2004, the first day of school, more than 1,128 people were taken hostage at School Number One. Among the main demands of the terrorists were the withdrawal of Russian military forces from Chechnya and the resignation of Vladimir Putin as the president of Russia. The hostage-taking lasted for three days. The Russian authorities chose not to negotiate but instead stormed the school using heavy military equipment and firearms. As a result of the so-called anti-terrorist operation, 334 people were killed, including 186 children.
On 20 August 2024, Vladimir Putin visited School Number One for the first time since 2004. He was then informed that the investigation into the terrorist attack had never been fully concluded. The situation is instead that the local independent organisations, victims and activists are being threatened and prosecuted by the authorities.