Nine killed in Turkiye school shooting as second attack in two days shocks nation

ANKARA: At least nine people were killed in a school shooting in Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, marking the second such incident in as many days in Turkiye, officials said.

Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed the death toll, adding that 13 others were injured, with several in critical condition.

According to provincial governor Mukerrem Unluer, the attacker, a 13-year-old student, opened fire inside the school, killing a teacher and multiple students before dying himself.

Authorities said the student brought multiple firearms, believed to belong to his father, a former police officer, and entered two classrooms where he fired indiscriminately.

The governor said the attacker was carrying five guns and several magazines, and that it remains unclear whether he took his own life or died during the incident.

Emergency services rushed to the scene as panicked parents gathered outside the school. Footage showed ambulances transporting the injured while police secured the area.

The shooting came a day after another attack in the Sanliurfa, where a former student opened fire at a high school in the Siverek district, wounding 16 people before killing himself during a police confrontation.

Following the incidents, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged that those responsible for any negligence would be held accountable, saying investigations are underway.

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Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors have launched immediate inquiries into the shootings.

Authorities have already detained a suspect linked to Tuesday’s attack and suspended four officials, while the affected school has been closed for four days.

School shootings are rare in Turkiye, which enforces strict gun control laws requiring licensing, background checks and penalties for illegal possession. The recent incidents have raised concerns over security and access to firearms.