Former Student Opens Fire on Turkish High School

A teenager opened fire with a shotgun at his former high school in Siverek, a town in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, Turkey, on Tuesday. The attack wounded at least 16 people and ended when the shooter reportedly died by suicide.

The shooter, whose identity has not yet been made public, allegedly fired at random within a vocational high school. He injured 10 students, four teachers, a police officer, and a school canteen employee.

Special security forces responded to the shooting, according to France 24. The school was evacuated and ambulances were on site after the incident.

The shooter did not have a criminal record. Conflicting press reports indicate he was either 18- or 19-years-old.

“NTV television and other media reports said the assailant had threatened an attack on the school on social media prior to the shooting,” the Associated Press reported.

Hasan Şıldak, governor of Şanlıurfa, told the press that the shooting is being considered an isolated incident.

“Şıldak told reporters that the attacker opened fire indiscriminately, starting in the school yard before entering the building,” Reuters reported. Şıldak's statement appears to be supported by both security camera footage and at least one eyewitness statement.

The school did not have a permanent police officer assigned to it because it was declared safe prior to the shooting, Şıldak added.

Those injured received medical treatment, and five of the wounded were transferred to medical facilities in the province’s capital for additional care.

Turkey has strict gun control laws—requiring licensing, registration, criminal and mental background checks for firearm owneers, and creating stiff penalties for illegal possession of a firearm. School shootings in Turkey are a rare occurrence; Tuesday's was the first reported incident in 2026.