Turkish School Shooting Kills 9 in Second Attack in Two Days

A 14-year-old student opened fire at Ayser Calik Secondary School in Kahramanmaras on Wednesday, killing nine people and wounding 13 others in Turkey's second school shooting in as many days. The attacker, an eighth grader, brought five guns and seven magazines to school in his backpack, which officials believe belonged to his father, a former police officer. He entered two classrooms and fired randomly before killing himself during the incident.

Eight of the nine killed were students. One teacher also died. Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said six of the wounded were in critical condition, with three in intensive care.

Video footage verified by the BBC showed students jumping from first-floor windows to escape the gunfire. Dramatic video recorded by a nearby resident and verified by the Associated Press captured about 15 gunshots in one-and-a-half minutes, with dozens of students fleeing through the school courtyard as the attack unfolded.

Tearful parents rushed to the school after news of the shooting broke. A reporter for Turkish broadcaster NTV described "very intense" gunfire and "panic in front of the school." Police increased security around the building as ambulances arrived at the scene.

Kahramanmaras Governor Mukerrem Unluer told reporters the shooter had concealed the weapons in his backpack and entered the classrooms without warning. Police detained the attacker's father, Ugur Mersinli. Justice Minister Akin Gurlek said prosecutors launched an immediate investigation.

Interior Minister Ciftci characterized the attack as "solely a personal attack" rather than a terror incident. The motive remains unclear as authorities examine the case.

This shooting followed an attack on Tuesday at a high school in Siverek district of Sanliurfa province, where an 18-year-old former student opened fire with a shotgun, wounding 16 people before killing himself in a confrontation with police. Ten students were among the wounded in that incident. Governor Hasan Sildak said the attacker had no criminal record and the motive was unclear.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said those found negligent or at fault "will certainly be held accountable" over the school shootings. Police detained one suspect after Tuesday's attack and suspended four officials from duty. The school involved in Tuesday's shooting was ordered closed for four days.

School shootings are rare in Turkey, where gun laws require licensing, registration, mental and criminal background checks, and impose severe penalties for illegal possession. The back-to-back attacks have raised immediate questions about how a teenager accessed his father's weapons despite these regulations. Al Jazeera's Sinem Koseoglu reported from Istanbul that the public has "many questions" about whether authorities will strengthen gun control measures even further.