A teenager wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest stabbed five people near a mosque in northwest Turkey before being detained by police, officials and media reports said Tuesday.
The 18-year-old, identified as Arda K., broadcast Monday’s knife attack on social media through a camera attached to his vest.
The victims were relaxing after prayers at a mosque in Eskisehir, some 143 miles west of the capital, Ankara. The attack video, in which several men cry out after being stabbed from behind, was circulating on X on Tuesday.
Sercan Ozkurnazli/dia images via Getty Images
The teenager was detained following a police chase, according to the Eskisehir governor’s office. At the end of his livestream, men are seen taking off the attackers bulletproof vest as he lies on the ground surrounded by onlookers.
The five victims were hospitalized and two were in serious condition, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The assailant was also carrying an ax but did not appear to have used it.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said an investigation had begun, while HaberTurk and other media reported the assailant is believed to have been influenced by a video game.