A 15-year-old student opened fire with a rifle outside a vocational high school in the western Turkish province of Manisa this morning, killing one and wounding 11. Two of the injured are in serious condition, and the suspected attacker has been detained, Turkish media reported, citing local authorities.
The attack took place this morning outside the “Inci Yüzmez“ vocational and technical high school in the city of Turgutlu. Initially, the Manisa governorate reported that a report of shooting was received in an area in the immediate vicinity of the school and that multiple police teams and ambulances were sent to the scene.
Later information from TRT Haber and İhlas Haber Ajansı indicated that 11 students were injured in the shooting, two of them seriously. The injured were taken to hospitals in Turgutlu and Manisa.
According to Turkish media, the attacker is a 15-year-old student at the same high school. He arrived on foot in the area with a rifle and opened fire in front of the school, then fled. Police caught him a short time later and detained him.
Moments immediately before and after the shooting were captured by security cameras. The footage shows a young man walking down the street with a gun in his hand, and after the attack, he leaves the area on foot.
According to İhlas Haber Ajansı, some of the students were waiting for their school transport when the shooting began.
The cause of the attack is still under investigation. Some Turkish media outlets reported that the suspect had a conflict with other students the day before, but these have not yet been definitively confirmed by the investigating authorities.
After the shooting, security measures were tightened around the high school. Many parents arrived in front of the school after learning about the attack.
The Turkish authorities have launched a judicial and administrative investigation into the case. It is also yet to be determined how the 15-year-old obtained the weapon.
Due to the serious incident, Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci and Education Minister Yusuf Tekin have traveled to Manisa, TRT Haber reported.
The investigation is ongoing, with authorities still clarifying the exact motive for the attack and the circumstances leading up to the shooting.