A man has been detained after attacking and injuring five people with a knife in a random assault at a tea garden in Eskişehir, central Turkey.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that the suspect, identified as Arda K., was apprehended by police following the attack in Tepebaşı district's Şehit Rüstem Demirbaş Park.
The suspect, wearing an assault vest and a helmet, recorded the attack with a camera mounted on his helmet. This equipment and the knife were seized by police.
Arda K. turned 18 just two months ago and had no prior criminal record, according to a statement from the Eskişehir Governor's Office.
The individuals targeted in the attack, identified as N.Ö., T.A., C.Ö., C.A., and M.K., were taken to Eskişehir City Hospital, where three of them remain in intensive care.
Witnesses' account
Witnesses described the incident as shocking and random. One bystander, Yakup Taşçı, noted that he saw the attacker acting suspiciously before the assault. "I thought he was about to ride a motorcycle, but instead, he put on a mask and began attacking people," Taşçı said, as quoted by Anadolu Agency (AA).
Muharrem K., another witness, said he saw injured people near a tram station and attempted to assist them before police arrived. "There were three injured people, and some were trying to stop the bleeding with makeshift bandages," he recounted.
Local authorities, including Uluönder Neighborhood Mukhtar Hasan Güler, mentioned that the suspect's family had lived in the neighborhood until three years ago before moving away. He described the family as ordinary, working-class individuals, with the suspect being one of two children.
The Eskişehir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has issued a broadcast ban on detailed reporting of the case, restricting coverage to basic information to avoid influencing the ongoing investigation. (VK)
