Suspected gunman in shootings in southern Turkey dies by suicide as police close in

A man suspected of carrying out deadly shootings in southern Turkey has died after taking his own life

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Suspected gunman in shootings in southern Turkey dies by suicide as police close in

A man suspected of carrying out deadly shootings in southern Turkey has died after taking his own life

ByThe Associated PressMay 19, 2026, 6:08 AM

1:48

ANKARA, Turkey -- A man suspected of carrying out a string of deadly shootings in southern Turkey has died after taking his own life when security forces surrounded him, Turkey’s state-run news agency reported Tuesday.

The 37‑year‑old suspect, armed with a rifle, killed his wife and five other people in Tarsus, Mersin province, on Monday, and wounded eight others. Police had deployed helicopters and drones in a major search effort before locating him.

Anadolu Agency reported that the suspect killed himself 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 neighborhood.

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

The shootings came amid a rise in gun violence in Turkey. Last month, a school shooting in Kahramanmaraş province left 10 people dead, while another school attack a day earlier wounded 16.