Story highlights Police official: "We believe his actions were politically motivated"

The 15-year-old attacker was killed in an exchange of gunfire

Curtis Cheng, the slain employee, was "admired and respected," police say

(CNN) The killing of a police accountant by a 15-year-old gunman is believed to be linked to terrorism, Australian police say.

Curtis Cheng, 58, was shot as he was leaving work Friday outside a police headquarters in a suburb of Sydney.

Police say the teenage gunman also fired shots at special constables who came out of the building. He was killed in an exchange of gunfire.

The shooter was born in Iran, and was of Iraqi Kurdish background, according to police.

"We had no information that this individual posed this type of threat, but we will investigate thoroughly," Commissioner Andrew Scipione of New South Wales Police said Saturday. "We believe his actions were politically motivated and therefore linked to terrorism."

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