ANKARA, Turkey — An 18-year-old former student attacked a vocational high school in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, injuring 16 people with a shotgun before taking his own life, according to local authorities.
The shooting occurred at a school in Siverek, located in Sanliurfa province, where the young man fired indiscriminately before barricading himself inside the building. He ultimately used the same weapon to end his life, according to Governor Hasan Sildak.
Among those hurt in the violence were 10 students, four teachers, one cafeteria worker, and one police officer, Sildak reported. Most victims received medical care locally in Siverek, though five individuals with more severe injuries were transported to a hospital in the provincial capital for advanced treatment.
Authorities have not yet determined what drove the attacker to carry out the shooting. Such incidents at schools are uncommon in Turkey.
Initial news accounts indicated that all students were safely evacuated while specialized police units responded to the scene after the gunman refused to give himself up.
“The individual was cornered inside the building through police intervention and died after shooting himself,” Sildak explained to news media, noting that officials would conduct a “comprehensive” investigation into the shooting.
Television footage captured dozens of students fleeing the school building, rushing through the entrance gates and into the surrounding streets.
