ANKARA, April 16 - A middle school student, aged 14, opened fire at a school in southeastern Turkey on Wednesday, killing at least nine people - eight of them classmates - and wounding 20 others before taking his own life, authorities said. The attack in Kahramanmaras province was Turkey's second school shooting in two days and has generated national shock in a country where such events are rare.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Turkish police department said early investigative findings showed the attacker had used a WhatsApp profile image that referenced Elliot Rodger, the U.S. gunman who killed six college students near Santa Barbara, California, in 2014. The statement also said that "initial findings indicate no connection to terrorism, the incident is believed to be an individual attack."
The investigation has not established whether the Turkish teenager shared Rodger's motivations. Rodger had published an internet manifesto in which he expressed frustration about his lack of success with women before carrying out his 2014 attacks, and he has later been praised by other perpetrators of school shootings, the police noted.
Authorities said the assailant carried out the assault using five pistols that belonged to his father, a serving police officer. The Kahramanmaras prosecutor's office reported on Thursday that the father has been jailed pending trial.
As part of its examination, the prosecutor's office said it found a document on the attacker's computer dated April 11 that indicated a major attack would be carried out "in the near future." The office has not expanded on the document's contents beyond that statement.
In response to both school shootings that occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday, police said 83 people across Turkey have been detained for "glorifying crime and criminals." Authorities additionally reported having blocked access to 940 social media accounts and 93 Telegram groups for the same reason.
The authorities' public statements so far emphasize an investigative distinction between individual criminal action and organized terrorism, while also documenting the discovery of online and physical evidence tied to the attacker. Further details, including motives and any broader networks of support or influence, have not been disclosed.
Key facts:
- The attacker was a 14-year-old middle school student.
- At least nine people were killed, including eight pupils; 20 others were wounded.
- The attacker used five pistols owned by his police officer father; the father is jailed pending trial.
- Investigators found a document dated April 11 on the attacker's computer suggesting a major attack "in the near future."
- Police say the WhatsApp profile image referenced Elliot Rodger, the 2014 U.S. gunman; investigators reported no initial link to terrorism.