School shooting in Turkey leaves at least nine dead

A shooting at a school in southern Turkey on Wednesday left nine dead, including eight students, and 13 wounded, Turkey's interior minister announced, upwardly revising an earlier tally of the toll.

"We regret to report nine deaths ... and 13 wounded. Six of them are currently in intensive care, three of whom are in critical condition," Minister Mustafa Çiftçi told reporters from the town of Kahramanmaraş, where the events occurred.

"A student came to school with guns that we believe belonged to his father in his backpack. He entered two classrooms and opened fire randomly, causing injuries and deaths," Kahramanmaraş provincial governor Mükerrem Ünlüer told reporters.

The attacker was the son of a former police officer, Unluer said, and was carrying five guns and seven magazines.

"We suspect he may have taken his father's weapons," the governor said. "He shot himself. It is not yet clear whether this was suicide or happened amid the chaos," he said.

Police detained the attacker's father, Ugur Mersinli, the state-sponsored news agency Anadolu reported.

The classrooms were for students aged about 10, the governor said.

Images released by private news agency IHA showed one person with his body and face covered being evacuated in an ambulance, as well as parents of students crying in the vicinity of the school.