New Year’s Nightclub Shooting Suspect Formally Arrested In Turkey

Members of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party arrive with floral tributes for the victims of the New Year's day attack, near the Reina night club, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Turkey has iden... Members of Turkey's main opposition Republican People's Party arrive with floral tributes for the victims of the New Year's day attack, near the Reina night club, in Istanbul, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017. Turkey has identified the gunman in the Istanbul nightclub massacre, the foreign minister said Wednesday as the president vowed that the country won't surrender to terrorists or become divided. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel) MORE LESS

ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkey’s state run news agency says the gunman suspected of killing 39 people in a nightclub attack on New Year’s Day has been formally arrested.

Abdulkadir Masharipov, an Uzbek citizen born in 1983, was caught at a hide-out in Istanbul on Jan. 16 after evading police for more than two weeks.

The prosecutor demanded his arrest on charges of attempting to overthrow the constitutional order, being a member of an armed terror organization and murder, the Anadolu news agency reported Saturday.

Authorities said the suspect was trained in Afghanistan and staged the attack for the Islamic State group.

IS has claimed responsibility for the attack.

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