A suspect has finally been detained in connection with a mass shooting in the Reina Bar in Istanbul, Turkey. In the early morning on January 1st, a shooter dressed as Santa Claus opened fire on a crowd of 500 celebrating the New Year. It has been confirmed that the shooting was a terrorist attack, and the death toll currently stands at 39 and the number of injured people is at 69. Around 1:15 a.m. Sunday, the gunman shot and killed a police officer who was guarding the front gate at the Reina nightclub, and then entered the club. Istanbul Governor Vasip Sahin said “He entered the club and attacked innocent people who were there to celebrate the new year. It was a cruel, cold-blooded act.”

Witnesses at the club said they heard a loud noise and then security officers yelled at them to get out. Fear and angst filled the club. “I got shot in the (expletive) leg, man,” he told journalists in English as he was taken into an ambulance. “These crazy people came in shooting everything.” The attacks were not expected considering the high end club was in Besiktas, which is known for  its expensive, upper-middle class neighborhoods. The popular area had been under heavy police security for new year celebrations.

As for now, police are still looking for possible accomplices in the shooting. Wayne Hills senior, Arden Sokoli,  hopes “police and officials find everyone involved in this shooting, they deserve to suffer the consequences for the innocent lives lost while they were just trying to celebrate the new year,” as many others around the world would agree as well.