Türkiye is prepared to hold funeral ceremonies on Wednesday for the nine people killed in a school shooting in the southern province of Kahramanmaraş, as investigators said new evidence indicated the teenage attacker had planned the assault.
The April 15 shooting, carried out by a 14-year-old student, marked the country’s second such incident within a week, raising alarm in a country where school shootings have historically been rare.
According to officials, the gunman entered two classrooms and opened fire indiscriminately. Authorities said he was carrying multiple firearms at the time of the attack.
Local officials said funerals would be held for eight children, aged 10 and 11, as well as a 55-year-old teacher.
Prosecutors said a document found on the suspect’s computer, dated April 11, pointed to preparations for what they described as a “major” attack.
Police said the teenager had also used an image referencing Elliot Rodger, the perpetrator of a 2014 mass killing in the United States, on his messaging profile, suggesting possible ideological or symbolic influence.
Authorities said the suspect died at the scene, though the exact circumstances of his death remain unclear.
The boy’s father, a former police inspector, was remanded in custody pending trial, while his mother was also detained as part of the investigation. Officials said digital evidence seized from the family home and a vehicle is undergoing forensic analysis.
Investigators said there were no indications of links to organised groups or terrorism, and the case is being treated as an isolated act.
Schools in Kahramanmaraş will remain closed for two days following the attack.
The shooting came just days after a separate incident in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, where a former student opened fire at his old school, injuring 16 people before killing himself.
The back-to-back attacks have triggered public anger and renewed concerns over safety in schools.
Dozens of members of teachers’ unions gathered outside the Education Ministry in Ankara late on April 15, calling for a nationwide strike and stronger measures to prevent violence in educational institutions.
“We will not surrender our schools to violence,” protesters said, according to local media.