A former student opened fire at a high school in southeastern Türkiye on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people before killing himself, authorities said.
The 19-year-old attacker used a shotgun to carry out the assault at Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa province.
Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Sıldak said the assailant fired randomly before entering the school building, where he continued shooting and later took his own life.
The Interior Ministry said those injured included 10 students, four teachers, a police officer and a canteen worker. Several of the wounded were transferred to a provincial hospital due to the severity of their injuries.
Authorities said the attacker had previously been a student at the school but had switched to open education after the ninth grade. His motive remains unclear.
Officials added that the suspect had posted threats on the school’s social media account prior to the attack, warning he would carry it out within days.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic as gunfire erupted. “He started shooting as soon as he entered the gate… students were screaming and running for cover,” one witness said.
Police special operations units were deployed after the attacker refused to surrender, while staff and students were evacuated from the school, which has around 1,000 pupils.
The incident comes weeks after the killing of a teacher by a student in Istanbul reignited concerns about violence in schools and triggered protests by education unions.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the shooting.