A violent gun attack has left four people dead and eight others wounded in the southern Turkish city of Mersin, according to reports from local news agencies DHA and IHA.

The shooting broke out north of Tarsus, located roughly 40 kilometres (25 miles) northeast of Mersin, plunging the area into immediate panic.

According to preliminary reports, the unidentified assailant opened fire inside a local restaurant, killing at least two people on the spot before killing two others at a separate nearby location. The gunman immediately fled the scene in a getaway car.

Local security agencies have launched a massive, widespread police manhunt across the region to track down and apprehend the shooter. Law enforcement teams have deployed ground units and tactical helicopters to cordon off key exit routes and comb the surrounding areas.

While the exact motive behind the attack remains unknown, media reports indicate that the suspect is a 17-year-old male armed with a shotgun.

The incident follows a tense month in Turkey, coming just weeks after two separate teenage school shootings in the country’s southeastern region shook the nation, leaving multiple casualties and prompting heightened public concern over gun violence and weapon accessibility among minors.