Armed man opens fire near Armenian church after liturgy

ISTANBUL

The attack caused huge panic among those attending the service, but no one was injured. Hürriyet photo

An armed man opened fire near the Surp Asdvadzadzin Armenian Church in the European-side neighborhood of Kumkapı today following Eastern liturgy. 

The unidentified assailant opened fire into the air seven times before walking off on foot. The attack caused huge panic among those attending the service, but no one was injured. 

Police were deployed to the church after the incident and launched an investigation to search for the whereabouts of the assailant. Following the first inspection, police determined that the seven empty cases belonged to the same gun. 

In December 2012, a number of elderly members of the Armenian community in nearby Samatya were attacked by an unknown assailant. The suspect, a Turkish citizen of Armenian origin, was detained in March after a thorough police investigation.