Turkey School Shooting Toll Rises to 9 Dead; Erdogan Promises Thorough Investigation
A 14-year-old student shot randomly inside a school in southern Turkey using his father's police gun, killing 9 and injuring 13. President Erdogan promised a thorough investigation.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 10:26
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(Central News Agency, Ankara, 15th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Another school shooting occurred in Turkey today when a 14-year-old student entered two classrooms with a gun and fired randomly, increasing the death toll to 9. Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated that the incident was not a terrorist attack, while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized a thorough investigation.
According to AFP and Reuters, this is the second school shooting in Turkey within two days. The latest incident took place in Kahramanmaras province in southern Turkey.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed that the incident left 9 dead and 13 injured, with 6 in intensive care and 3 in critical condition. He said the attacker was a "14-year-old 8th grader" and that "this is purely an individual attack carried out by one of our students, not a terrorist incident."
School shootings are extremely rare in Turkey. Ciftci stated that "necessary preventive measures will be taken," but did not elaborate further.
Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer earlier told reporters that the shooter's father was a former police officer. The student hid his father's gun in his backpack, brought it to school for the attack, and subsequently died in the incident. It remains unclear whether he shot himself or died during the chaos.
Videos taken by nearby residents and verified by AFP showed students scrambling out of windows to escape, with dozens fleeing across the campus simultaneously. In the roughly 1.5-minute video, about 15 gunshots could be heard.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu News Agency reported that the shooter's parents have been detained by police. The Turkish Interior and Education Ministers rushed to the scene. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated that prosecutors had immediately launched an investigation into the shooting.
Turkey's gun laws are generally strict, limiting gun ownership to licensed individuals over 21, but firearms are still quite common, and many law enforcement officers are permitted to carry and own them.
Parent Omer Erdag told AFP: "My child witnessed everything. He said, 'Dad, my friend is hurt.' He didn't see other children; there was blood everywhere inside. Thank God I got my child out... Of course I'm worried. How can I safely send my child back to this school?"
Dozens of teachers' union members gathered outside the Ministry of Education in the capital, Ankara, to protest today, holding signs reading "We will never let campuses bow to violence."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan posted on the social platform X, "In this tragic attack, we unfortunately lost bright young children and a dedicated educator." He emphasized that the case would be thoroughly investigated while warning against politicizing the attack.
Just yesterday, a school shooting occurred at a high school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, where a shooter opened fire at his alma mater, injuring at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before taking his own life. (Translated by Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150416
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According to AFP and Reuters, this is the second school shooting in Turkey within two days. The latest incident took place in Kahramanmaras province in southern Turkey.
Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed that the incident left 9 dead and 13 injured, with 6 in intensive care and 3 in critical condition. He said the attacker was a "14-year-old 8th grader" and that "this is purely an individual attack carried out by one of our students, not a terrorist incident."
School shootings are extremely rare in Turkey. Ciftci stated that "necessary preventive measures will be taken," but did not elaborate further.
Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer earlier told reporters that the shooter's father was a former police officer. The student hid his father's gun in his backpack, brought it to school for the attack, and subsequently died in the incident. It remains unclear whether he shot himself or died during the chaos.
Videos taken by nearby residents and verified by AFP showed students scrambling out of windows to escape, with dozens fleeing across the campus simultaneously. In the roughly 1.5-minute video, about 15 gunshots could be heard.
Turkey's state-run Anadolu News Agency reported that the shooter's parents have been detained by police. The Turkish Interior and Education Ministers rushed to the scene. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek stated that prosecutors had immediately launched an investigation into the shooting.
Turkey's gun laws are generally strict, limiting gun ownership to licensed individuals over 21, but firearms are still quite common, and many law enforcement officers are permitted to carry and own them.
Parent Omer Erdag told AFP: "My child witnessed everything. He said, 'Dad, my friend is hurt.' He didn't see other children; there was blood everywhere inside. Thank God I got my child out... Of course I'm worried. How can I safely send my child back to this school?"
Dozens of teachers' union members gathered outside the Ministry of Education in the capital, Ankara, to protest today, holding signs reading "We will never let campuses bow to violence."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan posted on the social platform X, "In this tragic attack, we unfortunately lost bright young children and a dedicated educator." He emphasized that the case would be thoroughly investigated while warning against politicizing the attack.
Just yesterday, a school shooting occurred at a high school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, where a shooter opened fire at his alma mater, injuring at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before taking his own life. (Translated by Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150416
Choose to stand with the facts, every sponsorship from you is the power to protect press freedom.
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The text, pictures, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and utilized without authorization.