11 Students Injured in Shooting Outside Turkish School, 15-Year-Old Suspect Detained

At least 11 students were injured after a teenager opened fire outside a high school in Turkey’s Manisa province on Tuesday (September 22). Two of the injured students are reportedly in critical condition.

The incident took place outside İnci Üzmez High School, creating panic among students and people in the surrounding area. Police later identified a 15-year-old student from the same school as a suspect after examining CCTV footage.

According to the footage, the teenager was carrying a large shotgun before firing outside the school. He was subsequently detained by police as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack.

Turkey’s Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said the firearm reportedly belonged to the suspect’s grandfather. The teenager’s parents and grandfather were also taken into custody as investigators sought to determine how the weapon came into the boy’s possession.

Authorities have not yet established a clear motive for the shooting. Investigators are examining the teenager’s background, movements and possible reasons for carrying out the attack.

Following the incident, Turkey’s Education Ministry sent a three-member investigation team to examine what happened. Officials are also looking into security arrangements around the school and the circumstances that allowed the teenager to access the firearm.

The latest incident has renewed concerns over school safety and access to firearms by minors in Turkey. A similar incident was reported in Kahramanmaraş in April, when a 14-year-old allegedly opened fire at a school, killing nine children and a teacher, according to the BBC.

The investigation into the Manisa shooting is ongoing, with authorities continuing to examine the source of the weapon and the circumstances leading up to the attack.

Source: BBC