Commentators debated the trigger of the conflict involving Nikarkho in Vladikavkaz.

The incident with Nikarkho in Vladikavkaz was caused by the guests of the republic ignoring customs and showing a lack of respect for the local residents, social media users stated. Another part of the commentators believed that the behavior of the hosts played a decisive role in the conflict, as they resorted to weapons instead of hospitality and shot a person in the back.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", on October 20, the deputy of the parliament of North Ossetia Soslan Didarov and fighter Maxim Divnich, commenting on the fight involving Nikarkho, stated that, according to Caucasian customs, guests in North Ossetia should observe local customs. Residents of the North Caucasus republics were divided in their assessment of the shooting during the conflict.

A publication about Sergey Menyaylo's statement on the "Caucasian Knot" Instagram page, which has about 60,000 followers, had received 115 likes and 137 comments by 15:30 MSK on October 20.

Some commentators criticized Menyaylo for what they considered premature conclusions and the tone of his statement. "Menyaylo, if you can't maintain order – leave! Without trial or investigation, you are making a Chechen guilty! [...] While the investigation is ongoing, the authorities should not make any conclusions!" – wrote arturvolkov956.

"Seems like the first person of the republic. Thinking like a child," stated hamleiznong.

"This is a response from a yard thug," believes ruslan49457.

Other participants in the discussion doubted Menyaylo's words about the hospitality of the residents of North Ossetia and linked their criticism to the shooting during the fight. "When have you been hospitable?" – asked 3940aslan.

"Is your hospitality shooting people?" – questioned kureish665.

"Now all of Russia knows how you greet guests with a bullet to the head. Very noble hospitality," stated user g___asya.

Another part of the commentators supported the demand for visitors to observe local customs and criticized the behavior of the guests of the republic. "If guests do not respect the traditions and order of the people, then this is disrespect to the entire nation," stated kazbek6291.

"Those who cannot behave in society should be isolated from society for 10 years in prison or sent to the SVO," wrote robert9645850.

"Thank you very much for the support... but it would be better if they were not in Ossetia at all," emphasized elya378198.

Recall that in a widely circulated video of the fight in Vladikavkaz, the moment of shooting is shown. A man in dark clothing rises next to the lying participants of the conflict and begins to retreat, while a man near a tree in a light shirt points an object resembling a pistol at him. At the moment of the shot, the retreating man is turned away from the shooter or at an angle, after which he falls to the ground.

This recording sparked debates on social media about permissible limits of self-defense. Some users believed that the shooter was defending himself and other participants in the fight from an attack by a professional fighter. Others distinguished between the use of weapons during an attack and shooting at a person who was already retreating, questioning the justification for the second shot.

Opponents of the shooter pointed out that shooting an unarmed and retreating person in the back cannot be justified as self-defense, while his supporters insisted that he found himself in a dangerous situation and was trying to protect himself and others.