Student opens fire at Turkish school, killing at least 4 in second attack in two days

An eighth-grade student opened fire at a school in Kahramanmaraş, southern Turkey on April 15, killing at least four people including three students and one teacher, and wounding around 20 others. The attack occurred just one day after another shooting at a school in Şanlıurfa province that left 16 injured, raising concerns about gun violence in the country.

Key points

• The attacker, an eighth-grade student, brought five weapons and seven ammunition magazines belonging to his father, a former police officer, into the school
• Victims included three students and one teacher; four wounded were in critical condition and underwent emergency surgery
• The attacker shot indiscriminately in two fifth-grade classrooms with approximately 10-year-old students before shooting himself
• The father of the attacker, identified as Ugur Mersinli, was detained by police as investigations continue
• This is the second school shooting in Turkey in two days; a 19-year-old opened fire at a technical school in Siverek on April 14, injuring 16 people

Why it matters

School shootings are rare in Turkey, but two incidents within 24 hours highlight concerns about firearm access and security in educational institutions. Authorities and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have pledged accountability as investigations proceed.