Tragedy Strikes Southern Turkey School: Nine Dead, 13 Injured in Shooting

At Ayser Calik Secondary School in Kahramanmaras, a 14‑year‑old gunman opened fire, killing eight students and a teacher and wounding 13 others, six of whom are in critical condition, Interior Minister Mustafa Cifci confirmed. The attacker was shot dead on the scene.

The incident follows a day earlier when an ex‑student fired at another high school in the south, injuring 16 people before taking his own life.

Investigators say the 14‑year‑old entered two classrooms with five firearms and seven magazines. Local authorities allege the weapons were supplied by the shooter’s father, a former police officer, who has since been detained.

Video footage, authenticated by the BBC, shows the gunman leaping from a first‑floor window and fleeing the building as gunfire erupted. A reporter for NTV described the sound of the shots as “very intense” and noted widespread panic outside.

Parents gathered in tears outside the school, with one saying his child had witnessed a friend being wounded and questioning how he could ever bring his own children back to the same campus.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his wishes for a swift recovery for the children, families, and teachers affected by the tragedy.