At least nine people, including eight students and one teacher, have been killed in a deadly school shooting in southern Turkey, according to Interior Minister Mustafa Cifci.
The attack occurred at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Kahramanmaraş region, where authorities said 13 others were injured, with six in critical condition. Officials confirmed that the suspected attacker, a 14-year-old student, also died during the incident.
This tragedy comes just one day after a separate shooting in the country’s south left 16 people injured when a former student opened fire at another high school before taking his own life, raising alarm over a rare surge in school violence in Turkey.
Authorities say the motive behind the latest attack remains unclear, and a full investigation is underway. Local reports indicate the attacker entered classrooms armed with multiple firearms and ammunition. The weapons are believed to have belonged to his father, a former police officer, who has since been detained for questioning.
Footage from the scene showed students fleeing in panic, some jumping from first-floor windows to escape the gunfire. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with parents rushing to the school after hearing the news.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed condolences and wished a speedy recovery to the injured, their families, and school staff.
School shootings are extremely rare in Turkey, making the back-to-back incidents particularly shocking and likely to intensify scrutiny around gun access, school safety, and mental health support systems.