ANKARA, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- A suspect accused of killing eight people in a shooting rampage across three villages in western Türkiye on Thursday was detained the same day in the neighboring province, local media reported Friday.
Turkish newspaper Milliyet reported that the suspect, a 28-year-old combine harvester operator Arif Sefa Ozdemir, told investigators that he killed three individuals due to a dispute over the purchase of a combine harvester, and the other five in order to seize their vehicles.
He said he had bought a combine harvester on credit from one of the victims, and that a dispute had arisen between them over an allegedly burnt machine and the remaining debt.
According to the suspect's statement, he met the seller and another two, drove them to a rural area, and shot them.
After the initial killings, he carried out a series of attacks along his escape route in order to change vehicles, including a car with three female teachers.
The suspect, who has been arrested on charges of "intentional homicide of more than one person," claimed to be "under the influence of alcohol" and did not know what he was doing. ■
