Turkey shooting spree: eight dead, two wounded; suspect remanded as revenge motive emerges

A gunman armed with a pump-action shotgun killed eight people and wounded two others in a shooting spree across three villages in Turkey's western Afyonkarahisar province on Thursday, November 5. One woman remains in intensive care. The suspect was later arrested in the neighbouring province of Eskisehir and was remanded in custody on November 6; authorities say the motive was a dispute over a combine harvester debt.

Three villages attacked in turn

According to Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency, the shootings took place in the Ihsaniye district of Afyonkarahisar province between about 3 p.m. and nearly 9 p.m. local time on November 5. Three victims were found in the village of Ayazini and three more in the nearby village of Kiyir; two women shot in the village of Yukaritandir later died in hospital. The victims included two women teachers. The Afyonkarahisar governor's office confirmed that eight citizens had lost their lives and one had been seriously injured.

Suspect seized a car and fled before capture

According to a statement from the governor's office and Turkish media reports, the suspect is 30-year-old Arif Sefa Ozdemir. After the attacks he seized a car and fled to Eskisehir province, about 100 kilometres to the north, prompting a major manhunt before he was captured in the Seyitgazi area. The newspaper Milliyet reported that the vehicle he abandoned was later found stuck in mud on the outskirts of Eskisehir, and that he had fled on foot. CCTV footage published by Turkish media showed a man in a black jacket, white trousers and glasses clutching a long weapon as he stood beside a red minivan.

Motive established: a combine harvester debt

According to Turkish media reports, the suspect told police he had bought a combine harvester from Ahmet Uzel, one of the first three victims, for €40,000. The harvester later burned down, and the two men fell into a dispute over the remaining money: Uzel had demanded €11,000 a week before the attacks, while the suspect insisted he owed €4,000. On the day of the attacks, the suspect lured Uzel to a meeting in Ayazini village on the pretext of repaying him; Uzel arrived with two companions, and all three were shot dead. Authorities believe the first attack was revenge; most of the later victims were targeted so the gunman could seize their cars and flee.

Suspect remanded in custody; publication ban imposed

Anadolu Agency reported that the Afyonkarahisar chief public prosecutor's office has assigned three prosecutors to the investigation. On November 6, the suspect was remanded in custody on a charge of intentional homicide of more than one person. The local criminal judgeship of peace has imposed a publication ban on the case. The newspaper Milliyet reported that the suspect's car was attacked and wrecked in Afyonkarahisar on March 17 this year and that he filed a complaint with police at the time; authorities are examining whether that incident is connected to the shootings. A gendarmerie sergeant suffered a minor ear injury in the shootout in which the suspect was captured. As of November 6, six of the victims had been buried following funeral services.

(Sources: BBC; Associated Press; Anadolu Agency; NTV; Milliyet.)