Former student opens fire at school in Turkiye, wounding 16 before killing himself

ANKARA: An ex-student opened fire at his former high school in Turkiye on Tuesday, where school shootings are rare, wounding 16 people, including students, before killing himself, officials said.

Special security forces were deployed to the school in southeastern Turkiye’s Sanliurfa province, where students were evacuated, the local governor, Hasan Sildak, told reporters.

The former student, 19, used a rifle during the attack, after which those wounded were rushed to a hospital in the Siverek district, Sildak said.

Twelve of the wounded were still in the hospital. Local media reported that most of the wounded were students.

Television footage showed ambulances standing by outside the school as students fled the building in panic.

“He took his own life when cornered by police,” the governor said.

“We have evacuated the school and will carry out a thorough investigation into this tragic incident,” he added.