ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – The perpetrator of Erbil’s Wednesday gas station incident, that saw three people get killed in an altercation, has confessed to the murders, citing self-defense.

A scuffle in a gas station in Erbil saw an employee of the station kill three individuals, two of whom were engaged directly in the altercation, with a bystanding worker who had nothing to do with the conflict suffering a shot and dying on the spot.

Security footage from the incident showed two customers driving a black SUV get off from their vehicles. The two men are seen shoving the gas station staff and pushing them to the ground, before a staff member rushed to a nearby cabinet, fetching what appeared to be an automatic rifle and killing both on the site of the incident.

According to information acquired by The New Region’, the shooter said in his confession to authorities that the shooter in that moment he felt it was his right to “defend himself”.

“I have been in a lot of fights until this age since I was a kid, but most of the time I was beaten up and dominated. But this time around when this person shoved me, and attacked me in that way, I told myself that this time must not be like previous times. I will get my revenge of the previous fights too from him,” he had said.

“I felt like I was being oppressed and its my right to defend myself,” said the shooter, refusing to have been under the influence of alcohol. The perpetrator further elaborated that he had asked the customers to pay for the gas, who refused and shoved him instead.

Erbil police have confirmed the customers’ refusal to pay for a spillage of two to three liters of gas resulted in a disagreement with staff.

Sources said the two men were Arab tourists visiting the Kurdistan Region. One of them was identified as Hamoudi Riyadh, a former Iraqi bodybuilding champion. The Iraqi Bodybuilding Federation confirmed his death and posted a tribute on Wednesday night.

The gas station’s staff and manager told The New Region on Saturday that the perpetrator had been working there for four months at the time of the incident, and he had been a calm individual prior to the altercation.

Karzan Saleh, a spokesperson for Erbil Police Directorate, explained why a gun was kept at the gas station. He said security guards protect the station at night starting from midnight, and they keep their equipment stored there. He added that the shooting happened before the guard’s shift started and that the guard was not present at the time.

Abu Bakr Suleiman, spokesperson for the Kurdistan Region Police, told The New Region on Thursday that the suspect has been arrested and that investigations are ongoing. He said the suspect had no previous issues with the victims and does not suffer from any mental health problems.

The New Region has understood that the case is no longer with police and has been transferred to the court for further investigation and sentencing.