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A 14-year-old boy is dead after allegedly killing at least nine people and wounding 13 more at a Turkish middle school Wednesday, according to media and official reports.
The boy reportedly carried out the violent attack, the second of its kind in as many days in Turkey, with guns belonging to his father, a former police officer, according to Regional Governor Mukerrem Unluer.
“A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths,” Unluer told reporters, according to multiple media reports.
Eight of the deaths were students, while the other was a teacher, Turkey’s Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci told reporters, per Reuters.
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Ciftci was also adamant that this was a “sole incident” and not a terror attack.
The shooting took place at Ayser Çalık Middle School in Turkey’s Kahramanmaras region, roughly 140 miles west of the high school where another student killed himself after injuring 16 others in a shooting one day earlier.
Shooting deaths are rare in Turkey, with just over 2.6 per 100,000 residents every year, compared to the U.S.’s 14.5. Gun applicants must be at least 21 years old and go through a rigorous medical clearance and background check process.
Gun acquisition is, however, considerably more expedient for professionals with certain careers, such as law enforcement.
Despite the difficulties, Turkey has now been rocked by two mass shootings in two days. In response, the government has urged citizens not to spread misinformation and to protect the peace.
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“Managing the process with sound judgment, protecting societal peace, and particularly ensuring the psychological security of our children are of utmost importance,” the country’s Ministry of Communications also posted on X.
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“It is essential for our media organizations to act with the utmost sense of responsibility in their broadcasting policies,” the post continued, adding that “such incidents create a highly fertile ground for disinformation.”
Four chief inspectors and four inspector generals have been assigned to an investigation into the incident, the Turkish Ministry of the Interior wrote on X.
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