A man armed with a rifle carried out a series of attacks in a city in southern Turkey on Monday, resulting in the deaths of at least six people and injuries to eight others, as confirmed by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Police, supported by helicopters and drones, are currently searching for the perpetrator, who remains at large after opening fire in various locations in Tarsus, Mersin province. The Anadolu Agency reported that the 37-year-old suspect, identified as Metin O, allegedly killed his wife on the street before shooting at a restaurant from his car, resulting in the deaths of the restaurant owner and an employee.
The assailant is also believed to have killed a teenager, a 50-year-old man, and another individual in a different Tarsus neighborhood. According to the Demirören News Agency (DHA), the perpetrator fled in a car following the attacks. Erdogan, speaking after a Cabinet meeting, expressed his condolences for the victims but did not disclose information regarding the gunman or his motives.
In a separate incident, a restaurant employee, Mehmet Han Topal, who sustained a leg injury, recounted the harrowing experience and stated that the assailant entered silently and then suddenly brandished a gun.
Over the past month, Turkey has faced a number of shootings that have sparked concerns about gun violence and school safety. In a recent attack in the southern province of Kahramanmaras, 10 individuals were killed at a school, while another school shooting injured 16 people in a neighboring province just a day earlier. A Turkish non-governmental organization (NGO) reported that tens of millions of firearms are held by citizens in the country, with many lacking permits.
[Context: The article reports on a series of attacks carried out by a man in Turkey, resulting in casualties and injuries. The suspect is currently at large, and the authorities are conducting a search to apprehend him.]
[Fact Check: The incidents described in the article are based on reports from reliable sources such as Erdogan and news agencies.]
