Gunman kills 6, self at statistics office in northeast Turkey

USPA News - A disgruntled former employee opened fire at an office belonging to the Statistics Institute (TUIK) in northeast Turkey on early Wednesday, killing six people before turning the gun on himself, the governor`s office said. Another person was injured.

Veysi Erim, a former employee at the Regional Directorate of TUIK in the northeastern city of Kars, entered his former workplace at around 8:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday while carrying a Glock pistol. The Dogan News Agency said Erim took several of his former colleagues hostage after an argument with the regional manager. The Kars Governor`s Office said Erim opened fire before security forces arrived at the scene, killing six people, including the regional manager, before turning the gun on himself. "Also during the incident, one employee was injured, but there is no danger to life," the governor`s office said. Investigators said Erim, a sociologist at the TUIK office who was recently fired, was being treated for psychological problems. "This fateful event had nothing to do with anything political or terrorism but rather it is considered that Veysi Erim`s mental illness led to the event," the governor`s office added. The Dogan News Agency said Erim had recently been fired from his job after an internal investigation. It was not immediately clear why Erim had been fired. "God have mercy on the staff who were killed on duty and we extend our condolences to the relatives. We wish a speedy recovery to injured personnel," the governor`s office said.