A 13-year-old student opened fire at a school in southern Turkey on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring 13 in a rare but deadly attack that has heightened concerns over school safety.
The shooting occurred in Kahramanmaras province, with authorities confirming that six of the injured are in intensive care, three of them in critical condition. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said the death toll had risen from earlier reports, describing the incident as tragic and alarming.
According to the provincial governor, Mukerrem Unluer, the attacker, an eighth-grade student, brought multiple firearms believed to belong to his father, a former police officer. He reportedly entered two classrooms and opened fire indiscriminately.
The suspect, who was carrying five guns and seven magazines, died during the incident. Authorities say it remains unclear whether he took his own life or died in the chaos. Police have since detained his father as part of ongoing investigations.
Disturbing footage from the scene showed students jumping from classroom windows to escape gunfire, while others fled across the school compound. Emergency responders rushed victims to hospitals as security was tightened around the area.
The attack came just a day after another school shooting in Sanliurfa province, where a former student wounded 16 people before killing himself. The back-to-back incidents have sparked nationwide concern.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed that any negligence would be punished, while Justice Minister Akin Gurlek confirmed that prosecutors had launched an immediate investigation.
Opposition leader Ozgur Ozel called for urgent reforms, warning that school violence is becoming a growing security threat and demanding tighter safeguards across the country’s education system.
School shootings in Turkey had been rare until this week. In May 2024, a former student killed a private high school principal in Istanbul with a firearm five months after he was expelled.
Turkey has strict gun laws that require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and severe penalties for illegal possession.
