Türkiye school shooter may have been inspired by US mass killer, police say

Turkish police have released new details in their investigation into a school attack carried out by a 14-year-old student on April 15, in which at least nine people were killed, including eight of his classmates.

According to law enforcement, a preliminary analysis indicates that the suspect used an image associated with Elliot Rodger as his WhatsApp profile picture. Rodger carried out a mass killing in the United States in 2014 and later published a manifesto and videos outlining his motives.

The suspect’s father was detained on the day of the attack and later taken into custody. Digital evidence recovered from the family’s residence and vehicle is currently undergoing detailed examination by investigators.

Police said that, at this stage, no evidence has been found linking the attack to any terrorist organization, and the incident is being treated as an individual criminal act.

It was also reported that the death toll from the armed attack at a school in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaraş has risen to 10. An 11-year-old boy, Yusuf Tarık Gül, who was injured in the attack, died in hospital.

Earlier reports had put the number of dead at nine, with 20 others injured. Among the victims was one teacher, while the remainder were students.

By Vafa Guliyeva