At least 16 people were injured after an 18-year-old former student opened fire at a vocational high school in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, before taking his own life, authorities have confirmed.
The attack occurred in the town of Siverek, located in Şanlıurfa Province, where the suspect reportedly entered the school armed with a shotgun and began firing indiscriminately at students and staff.
According to Governor Hasan Şıldak, the victims include 10 students, four teachers, a canteen worker, and a police officer. While several of the injured received treatment locally, five individuals with more serious wounds were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital.
“The attacker took his own life. We have evacuated the school. The incident is being investigated from all angles,” Şıldak said in a statement to local media.
Security forces, including special operations units, had reportedly surrounded the suspect inside the school building before he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after refusing to surrender.
Footage circulating online showed scenes of panic, with students fleeing classrooms and some escaping through windows as emergency responders and security personnel converged on the area. Initial reports suggested fears of a hostage situation during the unfolding chaos, though authorities have not confirmed this.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. However, local reports indicate the suspect may have had a prior dispute with a student before returning to the school armed.
Authorities have since secured the premises and launched a full-scale investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting, as the country grapples with yet another incident of school violence.
ELIJAH ADEYEMI
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