A shooting outside a high school in western Turkey left 11 students injured on Tuesday, September 22, after an armed teenager opened fire near the school in Turgutlu, Manisa province. The incident occurred during the morning arrival period, prompting police and emergency teams to rush to the scene. Authorities detained a teenage suspect shortly after the shooting, while an investigation into the circumstances and possible motive continued.
Shooting Reported Near Turgutlu High School
The shooting happened at around 8 a.m. local time near İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Turgutlu district of Manisa, an area near the western Turkish city of Izmir.
Initial reports indicated that at least five people had been wounded, including students, with one victim described as being in critical condition. Later updates from Turkish authorities increased the reported number of injured students to 11, with several victims requiring intensive medical treatment.
Police and medical teams were dispatched to the school as authorities secured the area. The suspect was subsequently detained, while investigators began examining how the weapon was obtained and what led to the attack.
Teen Suspect Detained as Investigation Continues
Authorities identified the suspect as a teenage student. Reports said a shotgun was used during the attack, with the weapon reportedly taken from the home of the suspect’s grandparents.
The motive had not been established in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Turkish officials said the investigation would examine several aspects of the incident, including access to the firearm and circumstances surrounding the attack. Family members were also detained as part of the investigation.
Parents and other relatives gathered outside the school following the shooting, with heightened emotions reported as security personnel attempted to control the area.
Attack Follows Earlier School Shootings in Turkey
Tuesday’s incident came months after two separate school shootings in Turkey in April that resulted in deaths and injuries.
In one April attack, a former student opened fire at a high school in Sanliurfa province, injuring 16 people before dying by suicide. The following day, a 14-year-old student attacked a school in Kahramanmaras province, killing nine people and injuring 13 others before being killed by police.
Those attacks prompted widespread concern in Turkey and led authorities to introduce additional security measures for the 2026-27 academic year, including tighter controls related to firearms.
The investigation into the latest shooting in Turgutlu remains ongoing, while authorities continue to assess the condition of those injured and determine the circumstances surrounding the attack.
