DEADLY ATTACK

Masked Shooters Open Fire During Istanbul Church Service

Authorities continue to search for the two perpetrators. Their motive, identities, and affiliations are unclear.

A pair of masked shooters opened fire and killed one person at an Italian Catholic church in Istanbul during its Sunday service before immediately fleeing the scene. The victim, identified only by his initials, C.T., was a 52-year-old man and a Turkish citizen. Authorities have not commented on a potential motive for the attacks, the identities and possible affiliations of the attackers, or whether the victim was the intended target. A Polish diplomat, Witold Lesniak, was also in attendance with his family. The incident drew condolences from Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who in a phone call to Lesniak, the church’s leader, expressed his concern for religious minorities and promised to find the perpetrators quickly. The pope also commented publicly from his seat at the Vatican, to give his sympathies to the Istanbul community.