Turkey Has Been Rocked By Two School Shootings In Just Two Days, Killing 10 People, Mostly Children
School shootings are extremely rare in Turkey, which has strict gun laws requiring licensing, background checks and severe penalties for illegal possession.
Turkey has been rocked by two school shootings in just two days, killing 10 people, mostly children.
On April 14, a 19-year-old opened fire at students in his former school in southeastern Turkey, injuring 16 people, mostly children.
The 19-year-old former student, who had previously been expelled for failing a grade, fired indiscriminately with a shotgun through corridors and classrooms before killing himself.
Then just one day later, on April 15, a 14-year-old student opened fire at a middle school in south-central Turkey, killing nine people and injuring 13 others in the second such shooting in the country in two days.
The 14-year-old began shooting in the school courtyard before moving inside and firing in two classrooms, armed with five guns believed to belong to his father, a former police officer.
Among the dead were eight students and math teacher Ayla Kara, who reportedly tried to shield students in her classroom during the shooting.
Another person died in the hospital from his injuries, while six others remain in critical condition, authorities said.
The gunman was later found dead, and his father was taken into custody, according to Anadolu.
School shootings are extremely rare in Turkey, which has strict gun laws requiring licensing, background checks and severe penalties for illegal possession.
“This was solely a personal attack carried out by one of our students; it is not a terror incident,” the Turkish interior minister told reporters.
Turkish justice minister Akin Gurlek announced that 67 social media users were detained over posts targeting 54 different schools, according to Al Jazeera.
In the days after both attacks, authorities detained dozens of people over social media posts glorifying the attacks or threatening similar ones at other schools, according to Al Jazeera.
The government has also suspended multiple television shows after public outcry that certain programs were promoting or normalizing violence.
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