Death toll rises in Turkey's second school shooting in a week
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- The death toll from Turkey’s second school shooting in two days rose to 10 after another victim died in hospital; the attack in Kahramanmaras left nine dead and 13 wounded.
- The 14-year-old gunman, Isa Aras Mersinli, killed a teacher and eight students before being killed himself; he used firearms belonging to his father, a retired police superintendent who was subsequently arrested.
- The shootings follow a similar attack in nearby Sanliurfa province, where 16 people were wounded and the assailant later killed himself; authorities have detained 20 people linked to that incident.
- In response, Turkey’s interior and education ministries held a high-level meeting on school security involving provincial governors, police chiefs, and education directors, while the Ministry of Family and Social Services set up a team for psychosocial support and investigations.
- Hundreds of educators protested for increased school security, and authorities detained 67 social media users over posts suggesting potential future attacks, highlighting growing concerns over school violence in Turkey.
