A former student opened fire at a high school in southeastern Turkey on Tuesday, injuring at least 16 people before taking his own life, an official said.
The 18-year-old attacker, armed with a shotgun, opened fire indiscriminately at a vocational high school in Siverek, Sanliurfa province, before taking cover inside the building. He later died by suicide using the same weapon, Governor Hasan Sildak said.
The attack left 10 students, four teachers, a canteen worker, and a police officer injured, Governor Hasan Sildak said. While most were treated in Siverek, five students and teachers with more serious injuries were shifted to a hospital in the provincial capital, he added.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear, and such school shootings are rare in Turkey.
Earlier media reports said all students were safely evacuated, while police special operations units were deployed after the assailant refused to surrender.
“The suspect was cornered inside the building following police intervention and died after shooting himself,” Sildak told reporters, adding that a “comprehensive” investigation into the incident would be conducted.
Video footage showed dozens of students fleeing the school, running toward the gate and out onto the street.