Eight people were killed and one seriously injured in three shootings in western Türkiye.
Why it matters: The shootings are a major public-safety incident in a key regional country. Authorities have not established a motive, political connection or terrorism link.
- The shootings occurred November 5 at locations near Ayazini, Kıyır and Yukarıtandır in Afyonkarahisar province.
- Three victims were found near Ayazini and three near Kıyır; two women later died in hospital.
- Authorities captured the suspected gunman alive in Eskişehir province after he fled the scenes.
- A pump-action shotgun and ammunition were reportedly recovered.
Eight people were killed and one other was seriously injured in a series of shootings in Afyonkarahisar province in west-central Türkiye on November 5, according to the Anadolu Agency.
The shootings took place at three locations in or near the villages of Ayazini, Kıyır and Yukarıtandır, in the İhsaniye district. Three victims were found near Ayazini and three near Kıyır. Two women found wounded in Yukarıtandır later died in hospital, Daily Sabah reported.
“Unfortunately, eight of our citizens have lost their lives, and one has been seriously injured in armed attacks in our province,” the Afyonkarahisar Governor’s Office said.
Authorities later captured the suspected gunman alive in Eskişehir province after he fled the shooting sites. He was located in the Seyitgazi area, and a pump-action shotgun and ammunition were reportedly recovered.
“The assailant was captured alive as a result of the joint work of the Provincial Gendarmerie Command and Provincial Police Department teams,” the Eskişehir Governor’s Office said.
Two of the dead were identified as teachers, Ayşe Sena Demir and Hilal Mete, who worked at İhsaniye Yukarıtandır Secondary School. The Afyonkarahisar Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation and assigned a deputy chief prosecutor and three prosecutors.
By the numbers
- 8 - people killed
- 3 - reported shooting locations
- 1 - person seriously injured
Yes, but: The motive remains unknown. Authorities have not established whether the victims were targeted because of personal, family, workplace or political connections, and no authoritative source reviewed found a terrorism link.
What's next: The prosecutor-led investigation will examine the shootings, the suspect's flight and the circumstances of the attack.