17-Year-Old High School Student Detained Following School Attack Threats in Zonguldak

Authorities in Zonguldak detained a 17-year-old high school student on April 16, 2026, after the teenager allegedly posted threats to attack his school in a WhatsApp group. The arrest comes amid a period of heightened security across Turkish educational institutions following recent violent incidents in Kahramanmaraş and the Siverek district of Şanlıurfa.

According to reports, the student, identified as B.T.A., shared threatening photographs and messages that explicitly referenced the previous attacks in other provinces. The Zonguldak Police Department’s Child Branch acted on these reports under the direction of the Zonguldak Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to take the student into custody.

During a subsequent search of the suspect’s residence, officers discovered six blank firing pistol cartridges hidden inside a closet in the teenager’s bedroom. Police as well seized the mobile phone used to send the messages for a detailed forensic digital examination. This incident is part of a broader trend where school attack posts have triggered police responses in multiple regions, including Sivas, where another student was detained.

In preliminary statements to police, B.T.A. Claimed that the WhatsApp messages were intended as a “joke” played on his friends. Regarding the ammunition found in his room, the suspect alleged that the cartridges were brought from his village to be kept as “souvenirs.”

Investigators noted that the Zonguldak student has a history of disciplinary issues, including a previous incident where he was referred for discipline after detonating a firecracker inside a classroom.

The case underscores the zero-tolerance approach current authorities are taking toward threats of school violence, regardless of whether the suspects claim they were joking. The investigation into the matter remains ongoing, and the threats made via WhatsApp are being treated with high priority by local law enforcement.