An 18-year-old boy wreaked havoc outside a mosque in Turkey on Monday (August 12). The boy attacked several people with knives. At least five people were badly injured in his attack. The attacking boy was wearing a helmet and a bulletproof jacket. According to local media reports, the accused boy has been taken into custody by the police. It is said that he is influenced by Nazi ideology and that is why he carried out such an incident. The video of the incident is also going viral.
Graphic footage of the incident shows how an 18-year-old suspect is seen looking at the camera wearing a mask, glasses and a Nazi-style helmet on his face, who is seen walking into the courtyard of the Tepebaşı Mosque in Eskişehir with a knife on Monday. He surveyed a group of people relaxing and talking in the courtyard, then chose one and suddenly plunged the knife into his torso.
The suspect then followed the others and stabbed them too. He also looked at several shocked onlookers before stabbing them. Throughout the clip – which lasts more than two minutes before the suspect is knocked to the ground – he did not speak a word and was only heard breathing heavily. As he ran through a park, a railway station and the streets, he appeared to have gone mad and was randomly stabbing people.
“The attacker was dressed like a man in a game and had a knife tied around his waist. He was wearing a bulletproof jacket and a helmet. The attacker covered his face with a skeleton handkerchief,” Eskisehir Durum media reported. He can also be seen wearing glasses in the video, which covers his entire face and makes it difficult to identify him.
The people he attacked mostly appeared to be elderly men whom he attacked from behind. Photos from the aftermath of the incident showed a bloodied victim and the suspect handcuffed to his back while police officers stood over him. He also appeared to be wearing a bulletproof vest emblazoned with the Nazi SS black sun symbol, which has been co-opted by far-right white supremacy and racist groups.
Some local outlets reported that the suspect was dressed like a video game character that inspired the attack but his motivation is under investigation. None of the victims’ injuries were life-threatening, but some were still serious and required hospitalization.
