On the evening of May 4, 1982, Orhan Gündüz, a White male of Turkish ethnicity, was driving his car through the busy streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. As he paused in rush-hour traffic near Union Square, a lone figure dressed in a jogging suit approached his vehicle. Without warning, the man brandished a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and opened fire, killing Gündüz instantly before making a swift escape.
The brazen assassination sent shockwaves through the local community and drew international attention.
In the aftermath of the shooting, a group calling itself the Justice Commandos of the Armenian Genocide claimed responsibility for the murder. The organization stated that the act was in retaliation for the Armenian genocide. It was revealed that this was not the first attempt on Gündüz's life. Just six weeks prior, his gift shop, Topkapi Imports in Cambridge, had been the target of a bomb attack. Following the bombing, JCAG had issued a chilling ultimatum to Gündüz: resign from his post as a Turkish honorary consul or be executed. Despite the clear and present danger, Gündüz did not receive police protection.
The investigation into Orhan Gündüz's murder was extensive, involving both the Somerville Police Department and the FBI. A composite sketch of the suspect was circulated based on eyewitness accounts, but the investigation was hampered by fear. A key witness who had provided information for the sketch was subsequently gunned down, bringing community cooperation to an abrupt halt. For decades, the case remained cold, a stark reminder of a violent act for which no one had been brought to justice.
Though no arrests were ever made in direct connection with Gündüz's assassination, declassified FBI files have shed new light on the case. These documents indicate that law enforcement officials had identified a primary suspect, a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation who was also an instructor for JCAG. This individual was part of a group known as the "LA Five," who were later arrested in connection with a plot to bomb the Turkish Consulate in Philadelphia. Despite multiple witnesses identifying him from a photo spread, charges were never brought against him for the murder of Orhan Gündüz, and the case remains officially unsolved.
