Turkey School Shooting 11 Students Injured After 15-Year-Old Opens Fire Near High School

A Turkey school shooting left 11 students injured on Tuesday after a 15-year-old ninth-grade student allegedly opened fire with a shotgun outside a vocational high school in western Turkey. Two of the students were seriously injured, according to Justice Minister Akin Gurlek.

The shooting occurred at around 8 am local time on a street outside İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Albayrak neighbourhood of Turgutlu district, Manisa province. The attack took place outside the school building as students were heading to classes. Police and emergency medical teams were immediately sent to the area, and the injured students were taken to nearby hospitals.

Authorities said the suspected shooter was detained shortly after the attack. Turkish media reported that the teenager was a ninth-grade student at the school and had allegedly taken the shotgun from his grandfather's home. Security camera footage reportedly showed the teenager carrying the weapon before the shooting.

Gurlek said the motive had not been established. Two prosecutors have been assigned to the investigation, which is examining how the firearm reached the teenager, how it was stored and claims that he may have faced peer bullying before the attack. The minister said the suspect's mother, father and grandfather were also detained as investigators examine possible negligence and family supervision responsibilities.

The attack triggered panic outside the school, with worried parents rushing to the area to check on their children. Turkish media reported brief confrontations between parents and police who had secured the school perimeter.

Turkey's Education Ministry suspended classes at the school for the day and sent three ministry inspectors to Manisa to examine the incident alongside provincial inspectors. Psychosocial support teams were also deployed for students, teachers and parents affected by the shooting.

The shooting came just days after authorities had announced enhanced security measures for the 2026-27 academic year, following two school shootings in April. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said 31,000 school grounds supervisors had been deployed for the first time, while police were assigned to schools considered higher risk and patrols were increased around educational institutions.

In April, a 14-year-old opened fire at a school in Kahramanmaraş province, killing nine students and a teacher and wounding 13 others. The attacker was killed at the scene. A day earlier, a former student opened fire at his old school in Şanlıurfa province, injuring 16 people before killing himself when confronted by police.

Tuesday's attack has therefore renewed scrutiny of firearm access, parental supervision and school security in Turkey, even as authorities continue their investigation into the teenager's motive and the circumstances surrounding the weapon.