School Shooting in Southern Türkiye Leaves 9 Dead, 20 Injured
A tragic school shooting occurred at Ayşel Çalık Middle School in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş, southern Türkiye, on April 15, 2026. An eighth-grade student, approximately 13 years old, opened fire randomly in two classrooms using five firearms and seven magazines allegedly taken from his father, a former police officer. The attack resulted in nine deaths, including a teacher and three students, and injured at least 20 others, with six victims in critical condition. The assailant died during the incident, though it remains unclear if this was suicide or occurred amidst the chaos. Police have detained the shooter's father, Uğur Mersinli. This incident follows a separate school shooting in Şanlıurfa the previous day, where an ex-student wounded 16 people before killing himself. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised accountability for any negligence, leading to the suspension of four officials. Emergency teams responded rapidly, and footage showed students escaping through windows. Türkiye, which has strict gun laws, has seen rare school shootings recently, prompting heightened security and immediate investigations by justice and interior ministers.
Wire timeline
School Shooting in Southern Türkiye Leaves 9 Dead, 20 Injured
A tragic school shooting occurred at Ayşel Çalık Middle School in the Onikişubat district of Kahramanmaraş, southern Türkiye, on April 15, 2026. An eighth-grade student, approximately 13 years old, opened fire randomly in two classrooms using five firearms and seven magazines allegedly taken from his father, a former police officer. The attack resulted in nine deaths, including a teacher and three students, and injured at least 20 others, with six victims in critical condition. The assailant died during the incident, though it remains unclear if this was suicide or occurred amidst the chaos. Police have detained the shooter's father, Uğur Mersinli. This incident follows a separate school shooting in Şanlıurfa the previous day, where an ex-student wounded 16 people before killing himself. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan promised accountability for any negligence, leading to the suspension of four officials. Emergency teams responded rapidly, and footage showed students escaping through windows. Türkiye, which has strict gun laws, has seen rare school shootings recently, prompting heightened security and immediate investigations by justice and interior ministers.
dailysabah