Three police officers shot dead in Turkey’s southeast

ŞANLIURFA – Doğan News Agency

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A youth opened fire on Turkish police officers in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa late on July 11, killing three officers and wounding another three before eventually being shot dead.

The 17-year-old gunman, identified as Hüseyin Doğukan Erdoğan, the son of a retired soldier, opened fire on police officers at a bus terminal in the province where he was stopped along with his family for an identity check. Three police officers were wounded in the shooting, while Erdoğan fled the scene after seizing a wounded police officer’s gun.

Around 500 meters away, Erdoğan wounded another three police officers from inside a building which was surrounded by special forces officers. He was heavily wounded during an armed clash with police but later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.

Police officers Sinan Akdemir, Mehmet Ünaldı and Hasan Hüseyin Çalışkan were wounded in the initial fire and later succumbed to their injuries in hospital. The other wounded police officers, Mehmet Birer, Lokman Deren and Ömer Faruk Korkoğlu, were receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, Şanlıurfa Governor Güngör Azim Tuna told reporters that Erdoğan had been suffering from psychological problems according to his family’s testimony, adding that it was not a terror-related incident. 

He also added that Erdoğan had taken the gun belonging to his father, who is a retired specialized sergeant.

It has also been reported that Erdoğan’s parents were about to divorce.

Police also detained Erdoğan’s mother and sister, who were with him after the incident.