A 14-year-old armed with five firearms opened fire at a school in Türkiye’s southern Kahramanmaraş province on Wednesday (Apr 15), killing nine people and injuring 13 others in one of the country’s deadliest school shootings in recent years.
Authorities said the attacker, an eighth-grade student, entered the school carrying weapons believed to belong to his father, a former police officer. He then stormed two classrooms and began firing indiscriminately, triggering panic as students attempted to escape by jumping from windows and fleeing across the school grounds.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed the death toll and said six of the 13 injured were in intensive care, with three in critical condition. He also stated that the suspect died during the incident after shooting himself, though it remains unclear whether it was intentional or occurred amid the chaos.
Local officials said the teenager was armed with five guns and multiple magazines. Following the attack, police detained his parents as part of an ongoing investigation, while prosecutors launched a full probe into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
Eyewitness accounts described scenes of terror, with students and staff scrambling for safety as gunfire echoed through the school. Dramatic footage verified by international media showed students leaping from windows and running for cover as the attack unfolded.
The tragedy has prompted national outrage and renewed debate over school security in Türkiye, where such incidents are relatively rare. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the incident would be fully investigated and urged the public not to politicise the tragedy.
The shooting came just a day after another school attack in a different province, raising fresh concerns about a potential pattern of violence targeting educational institutions. Opposition leaders and education groups have since called for stricter security measures, including enhanced patrols, surveillance systems, and tighter school access controls.
Authorities continue to investigate the motive behind the attack as the nation grapples with shock over the scale and brutality of the incident.
