&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Mersin Shooting: 4 killed, 8 injured as gunman opens fire in southern Turkey")
Four people were killed, and eight others were wounded when a gunman opened fire near the southern Turkish city of Mersin on Monday, news agencies DHA and IHA reported. The shooting occurred near Tarsus, approximately 40 kilometres northeast of Mersin, where at least two people were killed when the assailant opened fire at a restaurant. The two remaining victims were killed elsewhere in the vicinity. The gunman subsequently fled the scene in a car, prompting a widespread police manhunt that also involved helicopters, according to DHA.
There was no immediate comment from police or other officials. DHA reported that the shooter was a 17-year-old armed with a shotgun. Among those killed were the restaurant owner and one of his employees, IHA said. The other two victims were identified as a young man herding livestock and a truck driver.
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The attack is the latest in a string of gun violence incidents carried out by teenagers in Turkey. The Mersin shooting comes just a month after two separate shooting attacks by teenagers shook the country. In the first incident, 16 people were injured, while the second and more deadly attack claimed 10 lives, the majority of them young school children.
The back-to-back incidents have cast a shadow over public safety in Turkey, with Monday's attack underscoring growing concerns about youth-related gun violence. The recurring pattern of three shooting incidents within the span of a month, all involving teenage assailants, is likely to intensify calls for a broader national conversation on access to firearms and the factors driving violent behaviour among young people. As of the time of reporting, the suspect remained at large, with security forces continuing their search across the region. Authorities had yet to establish a motive for the attack, and no group claimed responsibility. The wounded are believed to be receiving treatment at nearby hospitals, though their conditions have not been officially confirmed.
