During the initial stages of the investigation, the author used an image on his WhatsApp profile referencing Elliot Rodger, who carried out an attack in the United States in 2014.
The teenager who opened fire on Wednesday at a school in southern Turkey, resulting in nine deaths, paid tribute to the author of a misogynistic attack in the United States, according to the police on Thursday.
The father of the shooter, identified as a former police inspector, was arrested on Wednesday and placed in custody.
The reference to Elliot Rodger relates to the Isla Vista massacre in 2014 in California. The author of this massacre had killed six people on the campus of a university in Santa Barbara before committing suicide. He had described this attack as a “statement” against women who had rejected him.
The perpetrator of Wednesday’s massacre, a 14-year-old, was declared dead, as stated by the governor of the Kahramanmaras province. It was unclear if it was a suicide or happened amidst chaos.
Digital devices seized during the raids at the author’s home and his father’s vehicle have been confiscated and are under analysis. The Turkish police stated that based on initial evidence, no link to terrorism has been established, suggesting it was likely an isolated incident.
“He randomly opened fire” – A student arrived at school with weapons, presumably from his father, in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and randomly opened fire, as detailed by Mr. Ünlüer, following a similar attack that injured sixteen people at a high school 200 km to the east.
Such incidents are rare in Turkey, where, according to local estimates, tens of millions of firearms are in circulation, with most being illegal.
