A man who allegedly slaughtered eight of his relatives with an AK47 in a row over “stolen turkeys” was arrested yesterday. Ridvan Zykaj, 24, reportedly confessed to shooting cousins and other family members with the assault rifle after they had accused him of being a thief.
The killing spree was triggered by a family lunch, where one of the victims accused Zykaj of stealing their poultry, according to local media.
Those murdered included his great uncle, as well as the great uncle’s two sons and their wives.
Women and children were among the dead, including a nine-year-old child, a teenage girl and three women, it was also reported.
Another six people were injured in the shootings before Zykaj fled the village 62 miles south of the Albanian capital, Tirana.
The killings sparked a massive manhunt, with efforts to recapture him complicated by his knowledge of the local area from his work as a shepherd.
Zykaj even challenged the country’s PM to find him in a Facebook video.
He was captured hours later.
Police also found the Kalashnikov weapon used in the shootings.
But Zykaj appeared unrepentant and even told police they were late in arresting him, according to news reports.
He now faces life imprisonment if convicted because he is accused of killing more than two people.
