A 13-year-old student opened fire at a school in southern Turkey on Wednesday, killing four people and wounding 20 others, according to Turkish officials cited by CBS News. The attack came just one day after a separate school shooting in the country left 16 people injured and the gunman dead.
The latest attack occurred in the Kahramanmaras province, where authorities said the eighth-grade student fired at random inside the school. The victims' identities and conditions were not immediately detailed in available reports.
The back-to-back incidents have sent shockwaves through Turkey, a country where school shootings are rare. Officials moved quickly to respond to public alarm, though specific emergency security measures announced in the aftermath were not fully detailed in early reports.
A second attack in 48 hours
The day prior, a shooter at a separate Turkish school wounded 16 people before dying, reportedly by suicide. The consecutive nature of the two incidents drew immediate attention from Turkish authorities and the broader public.
Turkish officials did not immediately provide a clear motive for either attack, according to CBS News reporting. Investigators were said to be working to understand the circumstances behind both shootings.
Broader context
School shootings remain comparatively uncommon in Turkey relative to countries like the United States, making the two-day cluster of incidents particularly notable. The events have prompted renewed discussion in Turkey about school security protocols and youth violence.
Turkey has relatively strict firearms regulations compared to many Western nations, though illegal weapons remain accessible in parts of the country. How the Kahramanmaras student obtained a firearm was not confirmed in initial reports.
The wounded from Wednesday's attack were transported to local hospitals, and authorities cordoned off the area following the shooting. Further details on the investigation were expected to be released by Turkish officials in the coming hours and days.
CBS News, which first reported the incident, attributed the information to Turkish government officials. The situation was described as ongoing as of initial reporting.
