A former student opened fire at a high school in southeast Turkey on Tuesday, injuring at least 16 people before taking his own life, officials said.
The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, reportedly fired indiscriminately at a vocational high school in Siverek, in Sanliurfa province, before hiding inside the building. He later died by suicide using the same weapon, Governor Hasan Sildak said.
Those injured include 10 students, 4 teachers, a canteen worker and a police officer. While most were treated locally in Siverek, 5 individuals with more serious injuries were transferred to a hospital in the provincial capital.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and school shootings are considered rare in Turkey. Authorities said all students were evacuated as police special operations units were deployed after the attacker refused to surrender.
“The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself,” Sildak said, adding that a comprehensive investigation is underway.
Video footage from the scene showed dozens of students fleeing the school premises in panic.
