Story highlights
- The gunman shouted about Aleppo as he opened fire
- Russia's foreign ministry described the shooting as a "terror attack"
(CNN)Russia's ambassador to Turkey was assassinated on Monday during an art exhibition in the country's capital city.
The gunman shouted "do not forget Aleppo" before he shot Andrey Karlov, who was giving a speech at the opening ceremony of a photo exhibit in Ankara.
The shooting happened in front of a crowd and was captured on video and by several photographers.
Minutes before
Karlov was speaking at the opening of an exhibition entitled, "Russia from Kaliningrad to Kamchatka," which was organized by Russian embassy and Ankara municipality.
Andrey Karlov (R) was giving a speech during a visit to the Modern Art Center in Ankara, Turkey.
The gallery is located in an upper middle-class area of Ankara, where there are luxury hotels, embassies and is near the Turkish parliament.
The shooting
The gunman, Mevlut Mert Altintas, was a police officer, according to Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu. AP photographer Burhan Ozbilici caught the moment of the shooting on camera.
An unnamed gunman walked in and shouted about Aleppo as he opened fire, according to video posted on social media.
He has been neutralized, Turkey's official Anadolu news agency reported, but it's unclear if he was killed or captured by police.
The Russian ambassador is shown on the floor after the gunman shot him.
The unnamed gunman gestures after the shooting.
Moments later
People in the gallery react after the shooting.
Outside the gallery
Turkish police secure the area outside where the Russian Ambassador was killed.
Outside the art gallery in Ankara on December 19, 2016.
