Ankara, Turkey, Feb 6, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The 16-year old high school student who murdered Fr. Santoro, an Italian priest, was arrested on Tuesday and has confessed to a crime which has shocked this Muslim nation.
The student told police he was influenced by cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad, NTV commercial television said. The report could not be immediately confirmed.
The state Anatolian news agency said the student, aged 16, had been carrying a 9 mm pistol when he was captured in the Black Sea city of Trabzon, where Fr. Santoro was gunned down on Sunday while praying.
The Turkish government has strongly condemned the killing of Santoro, which coincides with increased religious tension worldwide following the publication of cartoons in some European and other newspapers lampooning the Prophet.