At least 16 injured in shooting at Turkish school by former student

Kathmandu. At least 16 people have been injured in a random shooting carried out by a former student at a school in the southeastern region of Turkey. This incident has once again raised serious concerns about school safety in the country.

Security forces were extensively deployed following the incident on Tuesday at the school in the Siverek district of Sanliurfa province. According to local Governor Hasan Sildak, the school was immediately evacuated after the incident, and students were safely escorted out.

Television footage showed terrified students fleeing while ambulances were stationed outside the school. The incident also spread fear and rumors in the surrounding areas.

According to Governor Sildak, the attacker was a former student of the school born in 2007. He took his own life after being surrounded by police. Preliminary reports indicate that he used a pump-action shotgun to fire indiscriminately in the school corridor.

According to Turkey's Ministry of Interior, the injured include 10 students, four teachers, one police officer, and one cafeteria operator. The ministry stated that the attacker committed suicide using the same weapon after the incident.

Following the incident, Governor Sildak inspected the school and described it as a deeply tragic event. He noted that while all necessary security measures are in place, such isolated incidents can occur, and stated that a thorough investigation will be conducted.

School shootings are considered rare in Turkey. However, a nationwide debate on school safety began in May 2024 after a former student in Istanbul shot and killed a private school principal five months after being expelled.

Following that incident, thousands of teachers protested demanding stricter security measures. Although Turkey has strict gun laws, such sporadic incidents show that challenges remain.

The current incident has once again raised questions about the effectiveness of security mechanisms in schools, and the government is expected to adopt stricter measures in the coming days.