Student Injures 11 in Turkish High School Shooting

A student opened fire in front of their high school in Turkey’s western province of Manisa early Tuesday, wounding at least 11 other pupils, Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said.

Two of the wounded were in critical condition. The assailant was apprehended, and their mother, father, and grandfather, who owned the weapon used in the attack, have been detained, the minister added.

"When the security of our children is the issue, it is not possible for any negligence, any irresponsibility to be overlooked," Gurlek said on X.

"The circumstances under which the child obtained the gun used in the attack, the conditions of the weapon’s storage, the parents’ obligations regarding care and supervision, and allegations of bullying prior to the incident are being investigated thoroughly and from multiple angles," Gurlek added.

Images and video posted online showed a male figure walking on a street near the school with a rifle in his hands. He was then seen running back from the same street. Video outside the school showed police pushing away families and others gathered at the premises.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

The local governor’s office stated the attack occurred around 8:00 a.m. (0500 GMT) at the Inci Uzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Turgutlu district.

This incident follows two deadly school shootings in April that prompted outrage in Turkey and led officials to implement new security measures for the 2026-2027 academic year, including tighter gun controls. Prior to these events, the country had not experienced such attacks.

Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz announced that Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci and Education Minister Yusuf Tekin were traveling to Manisa to conduct inspections.