Former Student Wounds 16 in Turkish School Shooting

A former student opened fire at a vocational high school in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before killing himself. According to CBS News and Reuters, the attack occurred in Siverek district of Sanliurfa province.

The attacker was identified as an 18-year-old by CBS News and a 19-year-old by TimesLIVE and Reuters. Armed with a shotgun, he fired randomly inside the school before killing himself with the same weapon after being cornered by police, Governor Hasan Sildak told reporters. The Interior Ministry reported that the victims included 10 students, four teachers, a canteen employee, and a police officer. Five of the wounded were transferred to a hospital in Sanliurfa city center for further treatment.

The motive behind the attack remains unclear. School shootings are rare in Turkey, and Sildak described the incident as an "isolated event." He also noted that the attacker had no prior criminal record and that the school had been declared safe with no permanent police officer assigned to it. According to NTV television and other media reports cited by CBS News, the assailant had threatened an attack on social media before the shooting.

Students recounted their harrowing experiences during the attack. One student told Anadolu Agency that he and a friend jumped out of their classroom window to escape the shooter. "He suddenly entered the classroom and fired. He fired four or five times. Two people were hit," said Omer Furkan Sayar, adding that the attacker moved to another classroom without saying anything.

Video footage showed dozens of students fleeing the school toward the gate and onto the street as ambulances and police vehicles arrived at the scene. The Interior Ministry stated that 12 of the wounded were still in the hospital, though their conditions were not immediately known.