A teenager wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest stabbed five people near a mosque in northwest Turkey before being arrested by police, officials and media reports said on 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, about 143 miles west of the capital Ankara. The attack video, in which several men scream after being stabbed from behind, circulated the X on Tuesday.
Minister of the Interior of Turkey via X
The teenager was arrested after a police chase, according to the Eskisehir governor’s office. At the end of his live stream, men are seen removing his bulletproof vest as he lies on the ground surrounded by onlookers.
Another video of the same scene circulating on X shows him lying with his hands behind his back, ax strapped to his vest.
The five victims were hospitalized and two were in serious condition, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency. The perpetrator also carried an ax but did not appear to have used it.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said an investigation had been launched, while HaberTurk and other media reported that the attacker was believed to have been under the influence of a video game.