Retired Yakup Açıkgöz, who had lived in New Jersey for nearly 30 years, was spending his summer vacation at the house he had built in Güneşler village, in Kastamonu’s Çatalzeytin district.
After an argument broke out in the village over a parking space, a suspect set fire to a neighbor’s house. When Açıkgöz noticed the rising smoke, he went to the scene with other villagers to respond to the fire and rescue those inside the house.
After learning that children were inside, Açıkgöz wanted to enter the house. The suspect threatened people nearby and opened fire on those trying to help.
Yakup Açıkgöz was killed at the scene in the armed attack. A house and a vehicle were rendered completely unusable in the fire, while several people were injured.
Açıkgöz’s nephew, Çağrı Açıkgöz, said his uncle had no connection to the incident and had gone to the scene to rescue the children. Çağrı Açıkgöz said the incident was a deliberate attack targeting people who were trying to help.
The investigation into the suspect in custody is being conducted by gendarmerie teams.