Here Are Some Of The Victims Of The Istanbul Nightclub Massacre

A gunman opened fire inside a popular club on New Year’s Day, killing 39 people. This list will be updated as victims are identified and confirmed.

Lebanon:

Rita Chami

Marquis Johnson, a friend of Rita's, told BuzzFeed News in an email that the two met when he was on a show tour in Beirut, and that he would always remember how hospitable she had been while he was in town.

He said that she often dropped whatever plans she made to join him and his friends for fun night's out in Beirut, and everywhere they went, they "were treated like rock stars."

Johnson, who lives in New York said that Rita "was a person that was proud of her heritage and cared deeply to share that culture with anyone who wanted to find out more about it."

She was someone that would give you the shirt off her back. She was a woman who spoke her mind," he added.

Haykal Moussallem

Facebook / Via Facebook: video.php

Moussallem’s wife, Mireille Khoury, was also reportedly at Reina the night of the attack but escaped without any injuries, according to Al Arabiya.

Elias Wardini

For Elias and Haykal 🙏🏻🌹 #EliHay

Saudi Arabia:

Shahad Samman

Abdullah Ahmed Abbolos

A Palestinian who had been residing in Saudi Arabia, Abdullah Ahmed Abbolos, 32, was in Istanbul to ring in the New Year, according to the AP, who cited Anadolu.

Lubna Ghasnawi

Traveled to Istanbul for New Years with friends, according to Turkish state-run news agency Anadolu. The 34-year-old entrepreneur was a communications manager for one of Saudi Arabia's largest banks and also co-owned a startup with her sister called Exclusave Card, the first student discount card in Saudi Arabia, according to CNN.

Turkey:

Hatice Karcilar

Fatih Cakmak

Kenan Kutluk

Burak Yildiz

Facebook: EmniyetGM

Burak’s older brother, Murat, is also a police officer for Emniyet Genel Mudurlugu. The two have several photos together on Facebook.

Ayhan Arik

Mehmet Kerim Akyil

Mehmet Kerim Akyil had traveled to Istanbul from Belgium on vacation to celebrate the new year, his father, Ali, told state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu, according to the Associated Press. The mayor of the Belgium town where he resided posted a tribute to Akyil on Facebook.

Iraq

Bulent Sirvan Osman

A 38-year-old married father of two, Bulent Sirvan Osman in Istanbul for business purposes, according to the AP, who cited state-run Turkish news agency Anadolu.

Bulent Osman was a pharmacist, according to Turkish news site T24. His relatives traveled from Erbil to Istanbul to claim his body at the Forensic Medical Institute.

India:

Khushi Shah

The victims are Mr.Abis Rizvi son of former Rajya Sabha MP and Ms.Khushi Shah from Gujarat. /2

A native of the Indian city of Vadodara, Shah had been in Istanbul on a business trip, her family members told CNN. Her relatives are en route to Turkey to claim her body.

Abis Rizvi

I have just spoken to Mr.Akhtar Hassan Rizvi father of Abis Rizvi. He and Mrs Rizvi also want to go to Istanbul. We r organising their Visa.

Asif Bhamia, who called Rizvi one of his dearest childhood friends, posted about Rizvi's death on Facebook.

Israel:

Layan Nasser

Facebook: permalink.php

According to CNN, Nasser’s parents had forbidden her from traveling to Istanbul to celebrate the New Year, but her aunt, Layal Masarweh, had advocated for her taking the trip.

"Her father was totally against that," Masarweh said. "He was saying that Istanbul is too dangerous and that she should not go at all. But she insisted, saying that nothing will happen to her."

Masarweh now says she cannot forgive herself for what happened to her niece, who had aspirations of becoming a dentist.

"I wish I was with her to defend her or do anything to save her life. I wish they took my soul and gave it to her,” she said.

Nasser’s family has planned to hold her funeral on Tuesday.

Mansour and Hai survived the attack, according to Palestinian news site Shasha.

Canada

Alaa Al-Muhandia

Jordan

This post will be updated as more victims are identified and confirmed.

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