A 19-year-old former student opened fire at a high school in Turkey’s southeastern Şanlıurfa province on Tuesday, injuring at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before killing himself as police closed in, authorities said.
The attack occurred in the Siverek district, where the assailant reportedly used a shotgun to carry out the shooting. According to Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak, the gunman began firing indiscriminately in the schoolyard before moving inside the building, causing panic as students and staff scrambled for safety.
Emergency services rushed to the scene, with ambulances and police vehicles surrounding the school as terrified students fled. The wounded were taken to nearby hospitals, and five victims were later transferred to larger medical facilities in the Şanlıurfa city center for further treatment. The condition of those injured has not yet been disclosed.
Officials said the victims included 10 students, four teachers, a police officer, and a school canteen employee. The Interior Ministry confirmed the breakdown of those injured, highlighting the broad impact of the attack across the school community.
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Governor Şıldak noted that the attacker had no prior criminal record and that the school had previously been classified as safe by law enforcement authorities. He added that the suspect took his own life as police attempted to apprehend him, bringing the violent episode to an end.
Authorities have not yet released information, and an investigation is ongoing.
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The incident has sent shockwaves through the region, where such attacks are relatively rare, raising fresh concerns about school safety and the factors that can lead to such acts of violence.
