Egyptian authorities said a gunman opened fire randomly on civilians in the Abnoub district of Assiut governorate on Sunday, killing at least 10 people and injuring 15 others, before he was killed during a shootout with security forces.
According to the Ministry of Interior, police received reports that a man driving a private car fired indiscriminately at residents near the Abnoub transport station. Security forces moved rapidly to the scene, identified the suspect, and pursued him to nearby agricultural land, where he exchanged fire with officers and was killed.
In one account, the suspect was identified as a 48-year-old man named Attaf Khalf Slyem, described as having suffered from mental illness that led to a state of agitation, according to Egyptian media.
Investigations indicated that the suspect had been suffering from psychological disorders and had received treatment at a psychiatric hospital in Cairo, prompting the public prosecution to open a formal case and begin a detailed inquiry into the circumstances of the attack.
Prosecutors dispatched teams to the crime scene to examine evidence, including reviewing surveillance camera footage and interviewing eyewitnesses. Separate prosecution teams also visited hospitals in Assiut, such as Al-Iman General Hospital, the Comprehensive Hospital, and Assiut New Hospital, to inspect the bodies of the victims, assess the condition of injured people, and coordinate forensic procedures.
Authorities also ordered autopsies to determine the causes of death before burial permits are issued, as initial investigations identified the victims as residents of Bani Mohamed village and Abnoub town. Among those killed were Kamal Abdullah Aliwa Mohamed, 55, and other victims whose names were released in the investigation. At the same time, several injured people reported that the attacker fired at passersby in the streets.
In response to the incident, security forces imposed a cordon around the entrances and exits of Abnoub district and Bani Mohamed village, with the Assiut Security Director ordering reinforced deployments and continuous monitoring.
Reports also suggested that the attacker had entered into a dispute earlier near a café before the shooting began, with coverage citing witnesses who said he then produced an automatic firearm and fired suddenly.
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