A man who reportedly shot his ex-girlfriend in the head claims the incident was an accident, and he was just ‘joking around’ when it happened.
Police were alerted to the situation when residents in the Turkish city of Izmir said they heard a gunshot from the victim’s home.
As police and paramedics arrived, they found the 22-year-old victim – identified as Tugce Baran – had sustained a fatal head wound.
According to local media, the police checked CCTV footage from the area and identified Baran’s ex-boyfriend as a suspect.
The suspect, named Emre K, has since been detained by authorities.
He told police:
I was joking around, I did not want to kill her. It suddenly happened. We were chilling out, joking around, and I decided to mess about with a gun. I really regret it.
The man said he was devastated at his ex-girlfriend’s untimely death.
Police interviewed neighbours in the area, who said there had never been any problems between the pair and no one had even heard them argue in the past.
One resident noted:
They used to be a lovely couple, nothing suggested a problem between them. I always admired them.
I am so sorry to hear about Tugce Baran, she was a very friendly neighbour. I would never have imagined that Emre could do that.
According to Turkish outlet Hurriyet, neighbours saw a man fleeing the scene after hearing the gunshot, however the suspect was later found hiding in the house.
Emergency services took Baran to hospital, though she sadly died from her injuries.
Police are still investigating the incident.
Earlier this month, 440 pairs of women’s shoes were hung on a wall in Istanbul to highlight Turkey’s domestic violence problem.
The art installation was created by Vahit Tuna, who said each pair of shoes represents a woman who was killed by her husband in Turkey last year.
Tuna opted to fix the shoes to the wall rather than displaying his work inside to catch the attention of passersby as well as art enthusiasts.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.