Man Kills Uncle at School in Southern Turkey, Reigniting Safety Concerns
The incident follows a series of recent school shootings in Turkey, prompting calls for stricter gun control and enhanced security at educational facilities.
A gunman shot and killed his uncle at a school in southern Turkey on Monday, an event that has heightened concerns over safety at educational institutions and the prevalence of firearms.
The 41-year-old assailant fatally shot his uncle, Mehmet Bilgili, who was a Turkish language and literature teacher, in the schoolyard of Farabi Anatolian High School in Cardak, near the city of Osmaniye. Provincial Governor Mehmet Fatih Serdengecti stated that the suspect used an unlicensed handgun following an argument.
Bilgili was transported to a hospital but died shortly after the incident. Authorities reported that the gunman had a history of psychiatric treatment and had experienced a falling out with his uncle. He was detained following the shooting.
Union officials questioned the security measures that allowed an armed individual onto school grounds. "We want schools where our children go to school without fear, our teachers perform their duties safely and parents send their children to school with peace of mind," said Adem Yucel, head of the Osmaniye branch of the Egitim-Is teachers' union.
This shooting occurred less than a week after a 15-year-old student injured 11 classmates with a shotgun at a school in Turgutlu, western Manisa province. In April, Turkey was shaken by two school shootings over consecutive days.
The first incident in April involved a former student opening fire at a high school in the southeastern province of Sanliurfa, wounding 16 people, predominantly students. The assailant later died by suicide. The following day, a 14-year-old student attacked two classrooms at his school in Kahramanmaras province, resulting in the deaths of eight students and a teacher, and injuring 13 others. Police killed the attacker.
In response to the April shootings, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had pledged to prioritize school safety and strengthen gun ownership regulations. Data from the Hope Foundation, an organization advocating for gun control, indicates that over 26,000 people have died in armed incidents since 2014, with 2,784 violent crimes involving firearms reported last year.