Sildak says attacker had no prior criminal record while the school had previously been classified as safe by police
Sixteen people were injured in a gun attack on a school in Siverek on Tuesday, 14th April,2026.
A teenager opened fire at a high school in Turkey’s southeastern province of Sanliurfa on Tuesday, wounding at least 16 people, including students and teachers, before killing himself, Governor Hasan Sildak said.
The assailant, a 19-year-old former student, used a shotgun in the attack in the Siverek district. The wounded were taken to hospital, with five later transferred to facilities in Sanliurfa city centre for further treatment, Sildak said.
“Of the 16 injured, four are teachers, 10 are students, one is a police officer and one is a canteen worker. Thankfully, there were no fatalities. Four of the injured — two teachers and two students — were transferred to hospitals in the city centre as their condition was assessed as moderate. The remaining 12 are receiving treatment at Siverek State Hospital,” he said.
Noting that the incident was being investigated from multiple angles, Sildak said: “The attacker is a former student who only studied here in the 9th grade. He later enrolled in an open high school programme. Born in 2007, he took his own life as police moved in to apprehend him. We have evacuated the school. This deeply regrettable incident will be investigated thoroughly, including its background. Our condolences to all of Siverek and Sanliurfa. Judicial and administrative processes will be reviewed.”
“Despite all security measures in schools, such isolated incidents can occur. A full investigation will be carried out.” He later told broadcaster NTV that the attacker opened fire indiscriminately, starting in the school yard before entering the building. The shooter killed himself as police attempted to apprehend him, Sildak added.
“The attacker opened random fire in the corridor with a pump-action shotgun,” Sildak said during an inspection of the school site. He added that the overall condition of the injured was stable, and that two teachers and three students had been transferred to Sanliurfa.
“It is not yet possible to make a clear statement regarding the cause of the incident,” he said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
Sildak said the attacker had no prior criminal record and that the school had previously been classified as safe by police.
“The suspect has no criminal record. We are conducting a comprehensive investigation. Our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office will handle the judicial process, while we are also activating administrative inquiry mechanisms to clarify the incident as quickly as possible. It is not yet possible to determine the motive. Our school was not classified as high-risk based on risk assessments.”
“Each year, at the beginning of the academic term, meetings are held under district governors in line with Interior Ministry and Education Ministry directives, and this school was not considered high-risk and therefore had no permanent police presence. It is a successful high school with 743 students. We consider this an isolated incident. We will inform the public as soon as possible.”
The body of the attacker, identified as O.K., was taken from the school and sent to the Sanliurfa Forensic Medicine Institute for autopsy.
Eyewitnesses described the moment of the attack
One injured student, Omer Furkan Sayar, told Anadolu Agency that the attack took place shortly before the end of the break. He said they moved from the corridor into classrooms when the incident began.
“Suddenly he entered the classroom and pulled the trigger, firing 4–5 times. Two people were hit, then he moved to the next classroom. We first threw ourselves to the ground, then two of us jumped out of the window. He did not say anything, he just came in and started shooting,” he said.
An eyewitness, Gokhan Basaranoglu, said he was near the school when he began hearing gunshots as the 17–18-year-old attacker entered the building. He said people ran from the school before police arrived shortly afterwards.
The Interior Ministry said in a statement that an armed attack was carried out in the morning at the school by OK, born in 2007 and identified as a former student.
According to initial reports, 10 students, four teachers, one police officer and one canteen worker were injured and taken to Siverek State Hospital for treatment.
The statement said, “The attacker who carried out the assault with a pump-action shotgun subsequently took his own life with the same weapon. A comprehensive investigation has been launched by security forces, and developments will be shared with the public. We wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
The Radio and Television Supreme Council issued a warning to broadcasting organisations, urging strict compliance with broadcasting principles under Law No 6112.
It said graphic images and traumatic content must not be shared, stressing that the privacy of victims, students and families must be protected. It added that only official statements should be used to avoid misinformation, and that legal action will be taken against violations.
Deputy Speaker of the Turkish Grand National Assembly Bekir Bozdag condemned the attack, saying both judicial and administrative investigations have been launched.
