This photographer showed astonishing courage during the murder of the Russian ambassador to Turkey

By Jack Mirkinson  |  December 19, 2016 | 6:21pm
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The news that Russia’s ambassador to Turkey had been murdered reverberated around the world on Monday. Beyond the obviously grim nature of the news, and its potential implications for global politics—especially since the attacker, who was reportedly a Turkish police officer, yelled about the war in Syria after firing his weapon—the fact that it was captured both on video and in a series of brutal photos helped propel the story to the top of the public consciousness.

But we were only able to see some of these chilling images because Burhan Ozbilici, a longtime journalist for the Associated Press, did his job and kept his camera steady. Photojournalists brave some of the biggest risks in the entire world to bring people information, and Ozbilici’s courage was quickly lauded on Twitter.

WARNING: GRAPHIC AND DISTURBING CONTENT.

Ozbilici then continued reporting, giving an interview to his own employer:

The ambassador, Andrei Karlov, was several minutes into his speech at the embassy-sponsored exhibition in the capital, Ankara, when the gunman fired at least eight shots, according to an Associated Press photographer in the audience.
The attacker also smashed several of the photos hung for the exhibition, the photographer said, and there was panic as people ran for cover.

Even amid such horror, that kind of bravery is to be admired.

 
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