At least eight students and one teacher have been killed, with several others critically injured, following a tragic school shooting in southern Turkey that has sent shockwaves across the country.
The deadly attack occurred on Wednesday at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Kahramanmaraş region, according to Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci. Authorities confirmed that 13 people were wounded, with at least six reported to be in critical condition.
The attacker, believed to be a teenager, was also killed during the incident, local governor Mukerrem Unluer said. While the exact circumstances of the attacker’s death remain unclear, officials have launched a full-scale investigation into the incident.
Early reports from Turkish media suggest the gunman entered two classrooms armed with multiple weapons, reportedly carrying five firearms and seven magazines. Authorities allege that the weapons belonged to his father, a former police officer, who has since been detained by police for questioning.
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Scenes of chaos unfolded as the attack progressed. In video footage verified by international media, students were seen jumping from first-floor windows in desperate attempts to escape, while others fled the school grounds amid the sound of sustained gunfire.
“The sound of gunfire was very intense,” a reporter for Turkish broadcaster NTV said, describing the situation as one of panic and confusion outside the school gates. Distraught parents rushed to the scene as news of the shooting spread, many gathering outside the premises in tears, anxiously awaiting information about their children.
The motive behind the attack remains unknown, and investigators are working to determine what led to the violent outburst.
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The incident comes just one day after another shooting at a high school in southern Turkey, where a former student opened fire, injuring 16 people before taking his own life. The back-to-back attacks have raised serious concerns about safety in schools across the country.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan expressed his condolences in a post on X, wishing a “speedy recovery to our children, our families, and our teachers,” and assuring the public that authorities would pursue all necessary measures in response to the tragedy.
School shootings are rare in Turkey, making the scale and timing of these incidents particularly alarming. As the nation mourns, questions are mounting over how such a tragedy could unfold — and what steps will be taken to prevent another.
