Gunman kills six, injures eight others in rifle attacks in southern Turkey

A man suspected of carrying out a string of deadly shootings in southern Turkey has died, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Tuesday.

The 37‑year‑old suspect killed his wife and five other people, and wounded eight others, in Tarsus, Mersin province, on Monday.

Police had deployed helicopters and drones in a major search effort before locating him.

Anadolu Agency reported that the suspect took his own life inside a house where he had been hiding when the security forces surrounded the building.

He is alleged to have first killed his wife in the street and then fired from his car at a restaurant, killing its owner and an employee. He later allegedly also killed a teenager, a 50‑year‑old man and another victim in a separate Tarsus neighbourhood.

The Mersin governor’s office said the man had a history of substance abuse and psychiatric problems.

Turkey has been shaken by a series of recent shootings that have raised concerns over gun violence and school safety.

Last month, a school shooting in Kahramanmaraş province left 10 people dead, while another school attack a day earlier wounded 16.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking following a Cabinet meeting, offered his condolences for the deaths but did not provide information on the gunman or his motives.