At least four people have been killed and 20 others injured after a student opened fire inside a school in Turkey on Wednesday, in a shocking attack that has intensified concerns over school safety in the country.
Local authorities in Kahramanmaras confirmed that a teacher and three students were killed in the incident.
Governor Mukerrem Unluer said the attacker, a student, arrived at the school with firearms allegedly taken from his father.
“A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Unluer told reporters.
Footage aired by IHA news agency showed emergency responders evacuating victims from the scene, while distressed parents gathered outside the school in the city.
Witnesses reported hearing intense gunfire before security forces arrived and secured the area. Police have since increased security around the school as investigations continue.
Akin Gurlek said prosecutors had launched an immediate inquiry into the attack, describing it as a priority case.
The shooting comes just one day after a separate incident in Siverek in Sanliurfa province, where an ex-student opened fire at his former school, injuring 16 people before later killing himself during a confrontation with police.
Authorities noted that school shootings remain rare in Turkey, though there have been isolated incidents in recent years, including a 2024 case in which a former student killed a school principal in Istanbul following expulsion.
The back-to-back attacks have prompted renewed calls for tighter security measures around educational institutions and stronger controls on firearm access within households.
