Student Opens Fire at Turkish High School, Injuring At Least Eight
Authorities apprehend suspect after Tuesday morning incident in Manisa province; motive unclear.
A student opened fire in front of a high school in the western Turkish province of Manisa on Tuesday, injuring at least eight people, including other students. Two of the wounded were reported to be in critical condition.
The incident occurred at Inci Uzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Turgutlu district around 7:59 a.m. local time. Footage shared online showed a young individual walking near the school with a rifle, initially moving away before turning back and running toward the building.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, and the injured were transported to nearby medical facilities. The alleged assailant was apprehended by security forces shortly after the incident.
The governor's office stated that a judicial and administrative investigation has been launched, and further details will be shared publicly. The motive behind the attack remains unclear.
This event follows two deadly school shootings in April that led to significant public outcry and prompted Turkish officials to implement new security measures and tighter gun controls for the 2026-2027 academic year. Prior to those incidents, Turkey had not experienced such attacks.
The April shootings resulted in a total of 14 deaths and 29 injuries. The first occurred at Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Siverek, Şanlıurfa Province, where 16 people were injured before the 19-year-old shooter died by suicide. The second, just over 24 hours later, saw 13-year-old İsa Aras Mersinli kill 12 people and injure 13 more at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in Kahramanmaraş Province before sustaining a fatal knife injury while attempting to flee. That incident was the deadliest school shooting in Turkey's history.