Turkey is reeling from a second devastating school shooting in as many days, as a teenager opened fire on classrooms Wednesday, killing nine people and leaving 13 others wounded, according to the country's interior minister.
The attacker, identified as a 14-year-old male student, arrived at the middle school in Kahramanmaras armed with five firearms and seven ammunition magazines believed to belong to his father, a retired police officer, provincial Governor Mukerrem Unluer confirmed.
The gunfire erupted in two separate classrooms at the school, prompting an immediate emergency response. At least three students and one teacher were among those killed, with six of the 13 wounded reported to be in serious condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci stated.
Authorities have not yet clarified whether the shooter was killed by police or took his own life. The motive behind the attack remains unclear at this time.
A Troubling Pattern Emerges
The incident marks the second mass shooting at an educational institution in Turkey within 24 hours. On Tuesday, a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province, wounding at least 16 people, mostly students. That attacker subsequently died by suicide.
While school shootings have historically been uncommon in Turkey, the frequency of gun violence at academic institutions has gradually increased over the past decade, raising concerns among officials and families alike.
Scenes from the Kahramanmaras school showed emergency personnel rushing to the scene with ambulances as parents gathered outside, desperate for information about their children. Police established security perimeters around the facility as investigators began their work.
The back-to-back attacks have sent shockwaves through Turkish communities and reignited discussions about school safety, firearm access, and youth violence prevention across the nation.
This report is based on information from CBC World and The Associated Press.