Several teachers and students were shot and injured after a former student opened fire at a vocational high school in Siverek, in Turkey’s southeastern Şanlıurfa province, on Tuesday morning. The devastating incident, during which the teen was firing at people randomly, left at least 16 people nursing wounds on the compound.
According to local authorities, the teenage gunman, believed to be 18 or 19 years old, arrived at the Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School armed with a shotgun and began firing indiscriminately shortly after 9:30 a.m. The attack reportedly started in the schoolyard before continuing inside the building.
Among those injured are 10 students, four teachers, a police officer and a school canteen worker. Shortly after the shooting began, the police were alerted and arrived at the scene.
According to reports, the incident ended when the attacker died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after being confronted by officers. The police evacuated the campus and transported the wounded to nearby hospitals. Officials confirmed that several of the injured were later transferred to other medical facilities for further treatment. The shooter’s identity has not yet been officially released, and authorities say he did not have a prior criminal record.
Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak described the shooting as an isolated incident and confirmed that a full investigation is now underway. He noted that the school had previously been assessed as safe and did not have a permanent police presence assigned to it.
Preliminary reports suggest the suspect may have issued threats on social media prior to the attack. However, officials have not yet confirmed the details. Investigators are expected to examine online activity as part of efforts to determine a motive.
The shooting has drawn national attention, particularly as such incidents are uncommon in Turkey, where firearm ownership is tightly regulated through licensing, registration, and background checks.
