Daghan Kozanoglu/Getty Images(ISTANBUL) — The man authorities suspect of being behind the New Year’s Eve attack on an Istanbul nightclub has been captured alive, according to Turkish police sources.
The alleged attacker was caught with his son in a raid on the Esenyurt suburb of Istanbul, sources said.
Thirty-nine people were killed in the attack and dozens more were injured.
Authorities said the gunman fired 180 rounds of 7.62-mm bullets, which are commonly used in AK-47 assault rifles. The attacker also used flares to illuminate the inside of the nightclub during the attack, according to police.
Police said they don’t believe the weapon used in the attack came from inside Turkey. The serial number on the weapon had been defaced.
Between 400 and 500 people were in attendance at the Reina nightclub to ring in the new year. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, which was in response to Turkey’s military operations against the group, ISIS propaganda channels said in a statement.
The gunman allegedly killed a policeman and a civilian outside the Reina nightclub before he began to shoot in a “cruel and merciless way on innocent people,” said Vasip Sahin, the governor of Istanbul. Most of the victims were shot at close range or took bullets directly to the head, according to a report from the morgue.
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