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Last Updated: Thursday, 10 July, 2003, 19:16 GMT 20:16 UK
Police hunt toddler death suspect
Alistair Grimason
Alistair Grimason was hit by a stray bullet
Police in Turkey are continuing the search for a man suspected of the cafe shooting which killed a Scottish toddler.

Alistair Grimason was killed by a stray bullet on Monday when a gunfight broke out as his mother and grandmother were eating a meal.

The two-year-old, from East Kilbride in Lanarkshire, was sleeping in his pram at the time.

A nationwide hunt was launched in Turkey to find the local car dealer who is suspected of the killing.

A spokesman for the Turkish embassy in London said on Thursday that the man and another suspect had not been traced despite high-profile appeals.

Police in Turkey have been questioning another man, who has not been identified, in connection with the shooting

I've been sitting here with a towel and just crying into it
David Grimason,
Alistair's grandfather
A spokeswoman at the Turkish Embassy said he had been arrested in connection with the police investigation and was being held in custody.

Alistair's father David, 31, has travelled to Turkey to be with his wife Ozlem, 27, who had been visiting relatives near Izmir.

Mr Grimason had returned to Scotland on Friday after spending two weeks with Ozlem and Alistair on the Turkish west coast.

He has spoken of how the family's "world has fallen apart" as a result of the tragedy.

Mr Grimason's brother, Mark, said Alistair's body would be flown home to Scotland on Friday.

David Grimason
David Grimason had returned to Scotland before the shooting
Mrs Grimason, who moved to East Kilbride three years ago after the couple married in Izmir, had been planning to spend a further four weeks in Turkey with Alistair before returning home to her computing job at Glasgow University.

One man was killed in the shoot-out while two others were taken to hospital for treatment.

Alistair was killed by a stray bullet which flew into the pram and punctured his heart.

His father said he hoped the killer would serve a life term in prison.

The two men who were wounded in the attack were recovering in hospital and said to be out of danger, although officers had not yet been able to interview them.

Family devastated

Mr Grimason's father, also David, said the entire family had been devastated by the sudden loss.

He said: "I've been sitting here with a towel and just crying into it.

"David found out just before midnight. When he got the message he ran down here screaming for his mum. I thought he'd had an accident.

"We dragged him into the living room and got him to tell us what had happened. He couldn't get the words out.

"The two of them were inseparable. Everything he did was for Alistair."




SEE ALSO:
Grief of shot toddler's father
09 Jul 03  |  Scotland
Parents grieve for shot son
09 Jul 03  |  Scotland
Toddler shot dead in Turkey
08 Jul 03  |  Scotland
Country profile: Turkey
29 May 03  |  Country profiles



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