Nine killed in Turkey school shooting a day after separate attack injures 16

Nine people, including eight students and a teacher, were killed when a teenage student opened fire at a middle school in Turkey’s southern Kahramanmaras province on Wednesday, 15 April 2026, officials said, a day after a separate shooting at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa left 16 injured.

The attack took place at Ayser Calik Secondary School in the Onikisubat district, where the assailant, identified as a male eighth-grade student aged around 13 to 14, entered two classrooms and “opened fire randomly”, according to Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer.

“A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Unluer told reporters.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said 13 people were injured, six of whom were in critical condition and undergoing surgery.

The attacker also died during the incident, though authorities said it remained unclear whether he took his own life or was killed in the chaos.

Officials said the student had brought five firearms and seven magazines, reportedly belonging to his father, a retired police officer. Local media reported that the father has since been detained.

Investigation and government response

Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said an investigation had been launched, with multiple prosecutors assigned to the case.

“Three deputy chief public prosecutors and four public prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation,” Gurlek said, adding that officials were working at the scene.

Education Minister Yusuf Tekin travelled to the region shortly after the attack, while the education ministry dispatched inspectors to conduct a comprehensive review.

Authorities imposed restrictions on media coverage to protect the integrity of the investigation, urging outlets to respect confidentiality. Communications Director Burhanettin Duran also called for caution in reporting, noting the sensitivity of the incident involving minors.

Education in Kahramanmaras has been suspended for two days, Interior Minister Ciftci said.

The Justice Ministry added it had initiated legal proceedings against individuals accused of glorifying the attack or spreading misinformation on social media, stating that digital activity was being monitored nationwide.

Scenes of panic and witness accounts

Video showed students fleeing the building, with some appearing to jump from first-floor windows as gunfire rang out.

“The sound of gunfire was very intense,” a reporter for Turkish broadcaster NTV said, describing “panic in front of the school”.

Parents gathered outside shortly after the shooting. One parent, Omer Erdag, told media: “My child witnessed the scene and said, ‘Dad, my friend got hurt’. How am I going to bring my kids to this school again?”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences, wishing a “speedy recovery to our children, our families, and our teachers” in a post on X.

Earlier shooting in Sanliurfa

The Kahramanmaras attack came a day after a separate shooting on Tuesday, 14 April 2026, at Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Siverek district of Sanliurfa province.

A former student, aged between 17 and 19 according to various official accounts, opened fire “indiscriminately with a shotgun” before killing himself as police closed in, Governor Hasan Sildak said.

At least 16 people were injured, including 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee and a police officer. Several of the wounded were transferred to hospitals in the provincial capital due to the severity of their injuries.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as the attacker moved through the school.

“He started shooting at anyone who came in front of him, and then with the students’ screams, the teachers’ screams, everyone immediately scattered,” one witness told Reuters.

Another student, quoted by Anadolu Agency, said: “He suddenly entered the classroom and fired… He didn’t say anything.”

Authorities said the attacker had no prior criminal record, though local media reported he may have posted threats on social media before the incident.

Motives unclear as rare attacks raise concern

The motives behind both shootings remain unclear. Interior Minister Ciftci described the Sanliurfa attack as a “personal” incident.

School shootings are rare in Turkey, where gun laws are strict, making the occurrence of two attacks in quick succession particularly unusual.

Officials said investigations into both incidents are ongoing, with authorities pledging to provide updates as more information becomes available.