Eight Dead, One Injured In Turkey Mass Shooting As Police Hunt Gunman

No fewer than eight people have been shot dead and one person seriously injured in armed attacks across three villages in Turkey’s Afyonkarahisar province, as police launched a major manhunt for the gunman.

The attacks struck in a rural area near Afyonkarahisar, a town halfway between the capital Ankara and the coastal city of Izmir, ValidViewNetwork reports.

THE ATTACKS

According to the Afyonkarahisar governor’s office, “eight of our citizens have lost their lives, and one has been seriously injured in armed attacks in our province” .

The shootings occurred across three villages. Two women with gunshot wounds were found on a road in Yukaritandir village, and despite being rushed to hospital, both died.

Three more bodies were found in Kiyir village, a half-hour drive to the northeast, and another three in Ayazini village, a further half-hour drive east .

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Another person found in critical condition was fighting for their life in hospital .Among the dead were two teachers, Turkish media reported .

THE MANHUNT

Grainy CCTV footage published by Turkish media showed a man in a black jacket, white trousers and glasses clutching a rifle as he stood by a faded red minivan .

Police later found the red vehicle stuck in the mud on the outskirts of the university town of Eskisehir, which lies about 100 kilometres north of the shooting site.

The suspect had fled on foot, the private NTV channel said .Investigators were also looking into whether there was any connection with an earlier incident in the centre of Afyonkarahisar in which a woman in a car was shot and seriously injured by a gunman.

THE GOVERNOR’S STATEMENT

In a statement, the Afyonkarahisar Governorate said: “All relevant institutions of our state have been working in coordination since the very first moment and are meticulously carrying out the necessary work” .It added: “We pray to God for mercy on the deceased citizens and offer our condolences and patience to their grieving families and loved ones” .

WHY IT MATTERS

Turkey is reeling from one of the deadliest mass shootings in its recent history. Eight people are dead. Two of them were teachers. Another is fighting for their life. The gunman is still at large, and the police are searching for him across the countryside.

For the families of the victims, the grief is immeasurable. For the communities of Yukaritandir, Kiyir, and Ayazini, the fear is palpable.

And for Turkey, the question is how a single gunman could travel between villages, opening fire on citizens, and evade capture for so long. The manhunt continues. The country waits. ValidViewNetwork reports.