Manisa, Turkey — A 15-year-old student was taken into custody on Tuesday, September 22, after opening fire outside a high school in the western Turkish province of Manisa, leaving at least 11 people injured.
The attack occurred at the Inci Uzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. According to local reports, the teenager arrived armed with a shotgun and fired indiscriminately before fleeing the scene. Two of the victims are currently reported to be in critical condition.
Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürlek confirmed that authorities have not only detained the underage suspect but also arrested his mother, father, and grandfather in connection with the attack. CCTV footage circulating on social media reportedly showed the suspect walking casually through the empty streets while checking his weapon prior to the shooting. Further footage later showed him fleeing the scene while still carrying the firearm.
The motive behind the attack remains unclear. Under Turkish law, the teenager must appear before a court before formal arrest charges can be filed.
Turkey’s Education Ministry expressed profound sorrow over the tragedy, announcing that three national investigators have been dispatched to Manisa to oversee the investigation.
A Growing Trend of Violence
This incident marks the third school shooting in Turkey in 2026, raising serious concerns over a recent spike in youth gun violence across the country. Prior to this year, Turkey had very little history of school shootings.
In April, the nation was rocked by two separate, deadly attacks that prompted widespread outrage and calls for stricter gun control. In one incident, a former student armed with a pump-action shotgun wounded 16 people at a high school in the Şanlıurfa province before taking his own life. Just one day later, a 14-year-old gunman killed nine students and a teacher at a school in Kahramanmaraş before dying at the scene.
In response to the April tragedies, authorities implemented new security measures for the 2026-2027 academic year, including tighter gun controls. However, Tuesday’s attack in Manisa highlights the ongoing challenges officials face in curbing school-related violence.
Emergency medical teams were quickly dispatched to the Manisa school following the shooting, and local security forces launched an immediate manhunt that led to the suspect’s swift apprehension.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen