Turkey Mourns School Shooting Victims After Rare Attacks Leave Dead, Injured

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent

ISTANBUL, TURKEY (Worthy News) – Turkey plunged into mourning Thursday as funerals were held for nine people killed when a 14-year-old opened fire at a school, one of the deadliest such shootings in the nation’s recent history.

The attack occurred in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, where eight children aged 10 and 11 and a 55-year-old teacher were killed, authorities said. At least 13 others were wounded, with six reported in critical condition.

Officials said the teenage attacker also died at the scene, though it was not immediately clear how. Police added that the suspect had referenced U.S. mass killer Elliot Rodger in a profile image on messaging platform WhatsApp.

Rodger, 22 at the time, killed six people near the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2014 before taking his own life. Authorities in Turkey said there was no indication of a terrorist link in the Kahramanmaraş shooting, describing it as an isolated act.

TEEN GUNMAN INVESTIGATION

Police detained the father of the teenage suspect, identified as a former police inspector, as part of the investigation.

“Digital materials seized during searches of the perpetrator’s home and his father’s vehicle are being analyzed,” police said in a statement.

The tragedy came a day after another school shooting in southeastern Turkey left at least 16 people injured.

Authorities said a former student—described as a young man—opened fire with a shotgun at a high school in Siverek before killing himself when cornered by police.

The wounded included students, teachers, a cafeteria worker, and a police officer, officials said, adding that several victims required transfer to specialized hospitals.

SECOND ATTACK RAISES CONCERNS

The attack took place at Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, which was later evacuated. Witnesses described scenes of panic as the gunman fired indiscriminately inside classrooms.

One student told Turkish state broadcaster TRT that the attacker entered multiple classrooms and began shooting without warning, forcing students to flee or jump from windows to escape.

Authorities said the suspect had no prior criminal record, and the motive remains unclear, though local media reported he had posted threats online before the attack.

School shootings are rare in Turkey compared to countries such as the United States, where gun violence is more common, raising concerns that the back-to-back attacks may reflect broader security challenges and youth violence.

Latest Worthy News