ISTANBUL, Turkey —A 13-year-old student opened fire inside a school in Turkey’s Kahramanmaraş province on April 15, killing nine people and wounding 13 in what officials described as the country’s second school shooting in as many days. Authorities confirmed that the attacker used firearms believed to belong to his father before turning the gun on himself.

The shooting took place at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in the Onikişubat district, where panic spread as students jumped from windows to escape the gunfire. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said, “We regret to report nine deaths (…) and 13 wounded. Six of them are currently in intensive care, three of whom are in critical condition.”

Governor Mukerrem Unluer confirmed that the eighth-grade student carried multiple guns in his backpack, entering two classrooms and firing randomly. “A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Unluer told reporters.

The attacker, identified as İsa Aras Mersinli, died after shooting himself. Reports indicate that the motive may have been linked to extremist online communities, though investigations are ongoing. The incident occurred just 28 hours after another school shooting in Şanlıurfa province, where a student injured 16 people before taking his own life.

Witnesses described scenes of chaos as terrified students fled the building. Parents rushed to the school upon hearing news of the attack, while emergency services transported the wounded to nearby hospitals. Officials confirmed that among the dead were both students and at least one teacher.

The Turkish government has vowed to strengthen school security nationwide. Interior Minister Ciftci emphasized that authorities are investigating how the student obtained the weapons and whether others were involved. “We are working to ensure such tragedies do not happen again,” he said.

This marks a rare but alarming rise in school shootings in Turkey, a country where such incidents have historically been uncommon. The back-to-back attacks have sparked national debate over gun access, youth radicalization, and the adequacy of school safety measures.

As the nation mourns, families of the victims are demanding accountability and stronger protections for students. The tragedy underscores the growing global concern over school violence, with Turkey now facing urgent questions about how to prevent future attacks.

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