Student kills 4, wounds 20 others, in second school shooting in Turkey in 2 days

ANKARA, Turkey — A student opened fire on two classrooms at a middle school in southeast Turkey on Wednesday, killing four people and wounding 20 others, an official said, in the second such shooting in the country in two days.

The gunman, who was also killed, arrived at the school armed with guns believed to belong to their father, a retired police officer, Kahramanmaras provincial Gov. Mukerrem Unluer said. The attacker was carrying five firearms and seven magazines.

The victims included a teacher and three students, Unluer said. At least four of the wounded were in serious condition. The motive of the attack wasn’t immediately known.

The attack came just a day after 16 people, mostly students, were wounded when a former student opened fire at a high school in nearby Sanliurfa province. The assailant later killed himself or herself.

Until this week, such school shootings were rare in Turkey.

Turkish authorities imposed a ban on the broadcast of “traumatic” images from the shooting, warning media organizations to limit coverage to statements from officials.

Earlier, media reports said that authorities sent police and ambulances to the school in the Kahramanmaras’ Onikisubat district, after gunfire was heard there. Images from the scene showed at least two people being put into ambulances.

Parents rushed to the school after hearing reports of an armed attack, NTV television reported, adding that police took security measures around the school.