Gunman opens fire outside Turgutlu high school in Turkey, injuring at least five
An armed assailant opened fire outside the İnci Üzmez High School in Manisa province on Tuesday morning before fleeing on foot, prompting an active police manhunt across the region.
Morning attack outside İnci Üzmez High School
An armed individual opened fire outside a secondary school in the Turgutlu district of Manisa province in western Turkey on Tuesday morning, 22 September 2026. The shooting occurred at approximately 08:00 local time in the Albayrak neighborhood, directly in front of the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School. According to initial accounts, the unidentified assailant approached the perimeter of the educational facility and discharged a firearm indiscriminately into the street. The gunfire erupted as students, teaching staff, and local pedestrians were arriving outside the complex for the morning schedule, creating turmoil and widespread panic across the street as people rushed to seek shelter inside nearby buildings.
Casualty estimates and hospital transports
Emergency services responded to the Albayrak district following reports of multiple casualties among the crowd outside the school gates. Initial accounts from local sources reported that at least four students suffered injuries in the gunfire, while subsequent reporting indicated that at least five people required emergency transport to hospital. Certain Turkish media outlets reported that one student died from injuries sustained during the shooting, though regional government and security officials have not officially confirmed any fatalities. Emergency responders dispatched a large fleet of ambulances to the scene to deliver first aid and transport the wounded to nearby medical centers in Manisa province for emergency care. Hospital personnel and regional emergency services coordinated the triage of patients as medical teams worked to stabilize those wounded in the shooting.
Police response and search for fleeing suspect
Police forces arrived at the İnci Üzmez campus shortly after the shooting began, cordoning off the immediate school perimeter and surrounding streets. Officers closed off the Albayrak neighborhood to vehicular traffic and preserved the exterior zone of the educational complex for forensic assessment. The shooter escaped the scene on foot immediately after discharging the weapon, evading initial intercept attempts by arriving units. Turkish security forces subsequently launched an extensive manhunt across Turgutlu and adjacent districts of Manisa province to locate and detain the fleeing gunman. Specialized operational teams and uniformed officers conducted ground searches in surrounding neighborhoods while establishing checkpoints along key roadways exiting Turgutlu.
- An armed individual opens fire outside the İnci Üzmez High School in the Albayrak neighborhood.
- Police cordon off the school grounds while ambulances transport at least five injured individuals to hospitals.
- Turkish security forces launch a search operation across Manisa province for the suspect who fled on foot.
Ongoing investigation and safety measures
Security officials and public prosecutors initiated an investigation to determine the motives behind the attack and establish the identity of the unidentified perpetrator. Forensic technicians gathered ballistic evidence, cartridge casings, and physical traces scattered outside the entrance of the vocational high school throughout Tuesday morning. Law enforcement officers also began collecting and analyzing surveillance video recordings from school security cameras and nearby commercial properties to chart the suspect's movements before and after the shooting. Local education administrators in Turgutlu district collaborated with municipal emergency coordinators to supervise the school grounds and assist affected students and staff members while armed police patrols remained posted across the area.
