A shooting incident at a vocational high school in the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa, in southeastern Türkiye, on Tuesday morning left 16 people injured, according to initial reports.
The attack took place at Ahmet Koyuncu Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in the Hasan Çelebi neighborhood during morning hours. An unidentified suspect, believed to be between 18 and 20 years old, entered the school armed with a long-barreled weapon and opened fire randomly in the schoolyard before moving inside the building, causing panic among students and staff.
Şanlıurfa Governor Hasan Şıldak made statements regarding the armed attack that took place at a school in the Siverek district, resulting in 16 people being injured.
Governor Şıldak reported that the 2007-born attacker died by suicide during the police intervention.
Speaking in front of Siverek State Hospital, Governor Şıldak noted that the comprehensive investigation launched after the incident is continuing from both judicial and administrative perspectives.
Şıldak detailed the condition of those injured in the armed attack, confirming that a total of 16 individuals were affected. Among them are four teachers, 10 students, one police officer, and one cafeteria worker. He emphasized that there were no fatalities.
Four of the injured were assessed as being in moderate condition and were transferred to hospitals in the provincial center for further treatment. Some 12 others continue to receive care at Siverek State Hospital, while one student was also referred to a fully equipped hospital due to a moderate clinical evaluation.
The Ministry of National Education (MEB) said in a statement that the incident at the high school "deeply saddened all segments of society” and confirmed that security forces and health teams intervened immediately following the attack.
The ministry said a comprehensive investigation has been launched and that senior officials, including 2 general directors and a department head, were dispatched to Şanlıurfa to coordinate field operations. It added that inspectors from both the provincial directorate and the ministry’s central organization have been assigned to the inquiry.
Psychosocial support teams were also deployed to assist students, teachers, and families affected by the incident, with rehabilitation efforts already underway.
The statement noted that education at the school has been suspended for 4 days, while authorities continue to monitor the condition of those injured. The ministry added that the process is being followed "with diligence and determination” and that legal proceedings will be overseen by the ministry’s General Directorate of Legal Services.
Emergency response units, including police, medical teams and gendarmerie special operations forces, were dispatched to the scene following reports from witnesses. Security forces evacuated a large number of students from the school, while the injured were transported to nearby hospitals after receiving initial treatment on-site.