BBC Reporters, CBS News, and New York Times reporter who were actually in the city the day it happened who report mainstream news got it all wrong. BBC Source | CBS Source | NYTimes Source
There weren't any confrontations like this that tturned violent during the fall of the USSR, for instance
There actually were some brief instances of crowds firing rifle rounds at the Kremlin and getting return fire in response during the August 1991 protests. I don't think it escalated though and I don't think anyone died.
Although these were pro-government demonstrators who wanted the USSR to remain intact.