The death toll from a shooting carried out today by a student at a secondary school in southern Turkey has risen from four to nine, according to a new update from the Turkish Interior Minister.
“We mourn the nine deaths […] and the 13 injured. Six of them are currently in intensive care, with three in critical condition,” announced Mustafa Çiftçi in a statement released from the city of Kahramanmaras, where the massacre took place. Eight of the victims were students, and the ninth was a teacher.
The provincial governor, Mükerrem Ünlüer, detailed the harrowing events:
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The Perpetrator: A 14-year-old student.
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The Weaponry: The attacker used five firearms and several magazines belonging to his father, a retired police officer.
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The Method: The student arrived with the weapons hidden in his backpack, entered two classrooms, and opened fire indiscriminately on students aged 10 and 11.
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The Outcome: The attacker died during the shooting, though authorities are still investigating whether it was a suicide or an accidental self-inflicted wound.
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This tragedy marks the second school shooting in Turkey in just two days. On Tuesday, an adolescent armed with a shotgun wounded 16 people at a technical school in Sanliurfa before taking his own life.
While such incidents are historically rare in Turkey, local foundations estimate that millions of illegal firearms are currently in circulation across the country. The Ministry of Justice has launched a full investigation into the Kahramanmaras attack.
