TIRANA - Albanian police on Saturday caught a man who killed eight of his relatives, following a 12-hour hunt during which the fugitive challenged Prime Minister Edi Rama on Facebook to find him.

Police said Ridvan Zykaj, 24, had confessed to shooting cousins and other family members with a Kalashnikov gun after they had accused him of being a thief.

He appeared unrepentant and even told police they were late in arresting him, according to news reports.

As a shepherd, Zykaj knew the area of Selenice in southern Albania well, complicating his capture.

The killing spree appears to have been triggered by a family lunch, where one of the victims accused Zykaj of stealing their turkeys, according to local media.

Those murdered included his great uncle, as well as the great uncle's two sons and their wives.