Death toll rises to 3 in İzmir police station shooting
İZMİR
The death toll from the Sept. 8 attack on a police station in the western province of İzmir has risen to three, after a police officer succumbed to his injuries, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Sept. 30.
A 16-year-old high school student fatally shot two police officers on Sept. 8 with his father’s shotgun.
Officer Ömer Amilağ, who had survived the attack with severe injuries, on Sept. 30 passed away after a 22-day treatment process, Yerlikaya announced.
“I extend my condolences to the family of our heroic martyr, to our heroic police force and to our nation and I pray to God for mercy upon him,” Yerlikaya said.
The assailant, identified as E.B., was arrested, while prosecutors continue to investigate the motive behind the attack.
The family and the teen’s social-media accounts indicated he had expressed sympathy for extremist religious groups and became radicalized.
Investigators are examining whether the attacker had any organizational links to ISIL or other groups. His phone contained an ISIL logo and his social media accounts included posts that appeared to glorify the organization.
On Sept. 16, local outlets published a statement E.B. provided to authorities after his capture.
The attacker said he initially planned to target the İzmir Fair but later abandoned that plan. The İzmir Fair is one of Türkiye’s oldest, largest and most comprehensive trade fairs, held annually in August and September.
After deciding against attacking the fair, E.B. told authorities that he considered a bar as a potential target.
“I wanted to attack the bar because alcohol is consumed there. Later I decided that attack would not happen,” he said, according to local reports.
“I began to think about attacking the police station near our home. I slept at night, but the thought stayed with me,” he added.
As part of the ongoing investigation, four other individuals were arrested in connection with the case — the assailant’s father, along with three Syrians and one Iranian national. The suspect’s mother and three additional individuals were released under judicial control.
