The incident occurred near the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical High School in the Albayrak neighborhood of Manisa's Turgutlu district.
According to the information obtained, a 9th-grade student, H.O., opened fire on his schoolmates with a pump-action shotgun he had brought with him.
The 11 students injured in the attack were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment. Security camera footage from nearby businesses showed the suspect walking down the street with a very calm demeanor before the incident, checking the pump-action shotgun in his hand as he proceeded.
"We didn't take it seriously, thinking it was an air rifle"
K.B., who was injured in H.O.'s attack and was discharged after completing his treatment, still has 35 pellets in his left leg that could not be removed due to the risk of tissue loss. Discharged from the hospital and resting at home, K.B. described the terrifying moments he experienced. Stating that they noticed the gun in H.O.'s hand but did not take it seriously, thinking it was an air rifle, K.B. said, "We were going to school normally, on the same road as always. There is a place where we park our motorcycles. We saw the boy at first while going there. He had a gun in his hand. We didn't take it seriously, thinking it was an air rifle. When he turned it towards us later, we saw that he had fired at our friends before us. My friend started driving the motorcycle fast out of panic. At that moment, I lost my balance. I fell to the ground. As I was trying to run, he shot at me from behind. The incident happened outside the school. I heard two gunshots. It must have jammed at that moment. Then he ran away. I don't know the boy; it was the first time I saw him."
"I am struggling to educate my children, this shouldn't have been the result"
Father İlhan Başakçı, who said he is putting 5 children through school, stated, "We want to educate our children in a safer, healthier, and more peaceful environment. Of course, we cannot send them this way in dangerous areas. I am currently educating five children. One just graduated from the finance department. He did his military service and came back. Another one, for example, is currently in Malatya, a medical student in his final year. The other is studying software engineering. I am trying to educate these children with difficulty, working for a minimum wage. This is my goal. But come to think of it, this shouldn't have been the result. We want to entrust our children to the state's arms," he said.
Expressing that they are saddened for all the injured children, father Başakçı said, "Such incidents are an unacceptable situation. The 11-13 students here are all our children. We request that stricter measures be taken, and the children are currently experiencing psychological problems. They are facing financial and moral difficulties," he said.
"35 pellets in his left leg could not be removed"
Stating that 35 pellets remain in his son K.B.'s left leg and cannot be removed due to the risk of tissue loss, father Başakçı said, "It will take quite a long time for him to get back on his feet. 35 pellets remain in my son's left leg. Five remain in his right. However, they were able to remove the five in his back. They cannot intervene with the 35 pellets in his leg right now due to the risk of damaging the tissues. I wish all the children a speedy recovery," he said.
"I wish they would give them pens instead of guns to send to school"
Recounting the moments he first heard about the incident, Başakçı said, "My wife called me while I was at work. When she said, 'Our son has been shot,' I was very scared. My boss's nephew brought me to the front of the emergency room at the state hospital in his company car. Then, when I arrived, the ambulance, gendarmerie, police, and all the medical staff were there. I heard that there had been an attack on the school. However, it did not happen like a personal grudge, enmity, or a fight. This child targeted and shot at all the schoolmates he encountered at random. We also know that he has been caught," he said.
Stating that families should be careful about such matters, Başakçı said, "Families need to be a little careful. I wish they would give them pens instead of guns to send to school. I mean, sending a gun is a grave situation. We do not agree with this situation. And we will continue to pursue this case to the end. I will follow it to the end," he said.
The father's perseverance drew attention
On the other hand, the perseverance shown by father İlhan Başakçı to educate his children drew attention. 50-year-old worker İlhan Başakçı works under difficult conditions to educate his children despite being 40 percent disabled. Başakçı, who has 4 sons and one daughter, has children studying finance, dentistry, and software engineering. His son K.B., who studies at the İnci Üzmez Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School, is being trained in the field of food technology. Başakçı's struggle, perseverance, and the support he gives to his family, despite his disability, reveal his efforts to continue his children's education.
News Source: İHA
