Date: April 15, 2026 l Reporter: Emily John
A tragic school shooting in southern Turkey has left three students and a teacher dead, marking the country’s second deadly attack on an educational institution within just 24 hours and raising urgent concerns about school safety nationwide.
Authorities confirmed that the incident occurred at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş province, where a student opened fire on classmates and staff, killing at least four people and injuring about 20 others, several of them critically.
Investigators revealed that the suspect, believed to be an eighth-grade student, entered the school armed with multiple firearms reportedly obtained from his father, a former police officer. The attacker is said to have fired shots in the schoolyard before moving into classrooms, where the shooting escalated.
Officials confirmed that the suspect died during the incident, while emergency responders rushed the injured victims to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities have since launched a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the attack, including how the weapons were accessed.
The shooting comes just a day after another attack at a high school in Şanlıurfa, where a former student opened fire and injured at least 16 people before taking his own life. The back-to-back incidents have shocked the nation and prompted swift government response.
Interior and justice officials have deployed forensic teams and inspectors to the affected region, as national leaders call for strengthened school security and preventive measures against gun-related violence. Authorities have also emphasized that the latest attack appears to be a personal act and not linked to terrorism.
Although school shootings remain relatively rare in Turkey, the recent incidents have sparked renewed debate about access to firearms and the safety of students and educators across the country.