Siavosh Rahmani Aqdam

Case information

• Name: Siavosh Rahmani Aqdam
• Status: Killed in a shootout with the police
• Place: Tehran, Iran
• Event type: Armed rampage in the capital Tehran involving stealing a gun, hijacking a van, and shooting at police and bystanders

Timeline

• 28 November 1998 — An Iranian army deserter, identified as Siavosh Rahmani-Aqdam, stole a gun, hijacked a van, and shot to death six people, including three policemen, and wounded several others in southern Tehran.
• 28 November 1998 — A runaway Iranian air force serviceman, identified as Siavosh Rahmani Aqdam, opened fire indiscriminately in a Tehran street, killing 14 people (including three policemen) and wounding 11 others, before being gunned down by police.
• 28 November 1998 — He was eventually shot dead by police in the wake of a hunt for his arrest in a southern suburb of Tehran.
• 29 November 1998 — Fugitive soldier kills 14.
• 1 December 1998 — The English daily kayhan international condemned the killings by a mad army deserter.

Background

Siavosh Rahmani Aqdam was described as a deserter and a known hooligan. He had fled his barracks several days earlier with a gun and a large amount of ammunition. After the shootings, police mounted a manhunt.

Investigation

After preliminary investigation, the soldier was identified as Siavash Rahmani-Aqdam who had deserted from the army. A spokesman for the Greater Tehran Law Enforcement Office, Colonel Moqaddam, gave details of how the rampage unfolded and stated that the soldier escaped after gunning down law enforcement officers and several onlookers in the southern part of the capital.

Colonel Moqaddam said:

"The soldier went on a firing ram-page after he ran into a motorcyclist with his van which was soon found to be a stolen vehicle," he said.
"After the accident, he attempted to escape but was stopped by the law enforcement personnel and passers-by. He immediately pulled out a weapon and started firing indiscriminately at the police and people," the officer went on to say.

The incidents were described as shooting indiscriminately in a Tehran street and killing bystanders as well as police.

Arrest / confrontation

Police mounted a hunt for his arrest in a southern suburb of Tehran. He was eventually shot dead by police following that manhunt.

Outcome

The rampage resulted in:

• Six people killed in one account, including three policemen, and several others wounded, some critically.
• 14 people killed in another account, including three policemen, and 11 others wounded. He was killed in a shootout with the police.

Aftermath

The English daily kayhan international condemned the recent killings of eight persons by a mad army deserter and stressed that while the need for more order and discipline has always been present, the gruesome murders made it all the more urgent to transform law enforcement into a powerful force which can exude strength and vitality. The editorial pointed out that the police force of the country must have special task force handling such persons and that there should be psychologists and specialists who can negotiate over the phone or loudspeaker with such kind of persons.

The editorial included:

"Professionalism and use of state-of-the-art technology could have minimized the number of deaths in Iran's first mass murder. we need to be reminded that if our policemen were able to use infra-red guns or reconnaissance equipment, they would have been able to track down the assassin at night."

The editorial also noted that although more discipline had been witnessed in the police force since law enforcement chief brigadier Hedayat Lotfiyan was appointed last year, there was still more room for improving discipline, more training and more professional approach to the job of ensuring law and order.

Other details

• IRNA did not say where Rahmani-Aqdam stole the gun from.
• IRNA said there was an “act of mania” in which the soldier shot dead six people and wounded several others.
• IRNA reported no motive was immediately known for the rampage.