Russian Ambassador Wife Witnessed Assassination

From Cosmopolitan

The Russian ambassador to Turkey was shot and killed Monday during an event at a photo exhibit, where, the BBC said, the ambassador's wife was present at the time of his death.

Andrei Karlov, 62, was addressing a small audience of people at a gallery in the Turkish capital Ankara when 22-year-old Mevlut Mert Altintas, an off-duty Turkish police officer dressed in a black suit and tie, approached from behind and shot the ambassador. Witnesses scattered, seeking cover as the gunman waved his gun and shouted, "Don't forget Aleppo! Don't forget Syria!" An Associated Press photographer in the audience captured haunting images of the aftermath that were published and shared widely.

Among the witnesses was Marina Karlov, the ambassador's wife who, according to Russian media, had spent a "lifetime" with her husband and together they had a son CNN reported. Marina fainted upon hearing that her husband died and was hospitalized, according to The New York Times.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available now on iOS and Android.

On Tuesday, she attended a short ceremony for her husband, whose body - which was in a coffin draped in the Russian flag - was carried across the Esenboga airport in Ankara. A plane then took the ambassador's body and his wife back to Russia.

With reporting from The Associated Press.

You Might Also Like

• • 145 Horrifying and Hilarious Photos of Celebs in Halloween Costumes

• • All of First Lady Michelle Obama's Gorgeous State Dinner Dresses

• • Find Out Who the Hollywood "It Girl" Was the Year You Were Born