Turkey launches manhunt after Mersin shootings kill four, injure eight

Turkish police launched a sweeping manhunt after a gunman opened fire near Mersin in southern Turkey, killing four people and injuring eight others before fleeing in a car. The attack, which occurred north of Tarsus about 40 kilometres northeast of Mersin, triggered a search operation that included helicopters as officers tried to track the suspect.

At least two victims were shot inside a restaurant, while two others were killed at separate locations as the assailant moved away from the scene. Local news agencies DHA and IHA reported the toll as four dead and eight wounded, and said the violence broke out near the southern Turkish city on Monday, May 18, 2026.

DHA reported that the suspected gunman was 17 years old and armed with a shotgun. Turkish authorities had not identified a motive, and no group or individual had claimed responsibility. The focus remained on locating the suspect and securing the area around the shooting sites as investigators worked to piece together the sequence of attacks.

The killings came about a month after two shooting attacks by teenagers shook Turkey, including incidents that injured 16 people and killed 10, most of them schoolchildren. That recent wave of violence has sharpened concern over youth-linked gun crime and the broader security response, especially when attacks unfold quickly across more than one location, as they did near Mersin.

For now, the case centers on a single question: where the suspect went after leaving the scene in a car. With police using helicopters and ground units in the search, the manhunt around Tarsus and Mersin has become a test of how quickly Turkish authorities can contain a fast-moving shooting and prevent further bloodshed.