A 14-year-old student killed ten people in a shooting at Ayser Çalık Secondary School in Kahramanmaraş on April 15, marking the deadliest school shooting in Turkish history. Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi confirmed the death toll following the incident, in which the attacker, İsa Aras Mersinli, died at the scene.
Kahramanmaraş Ayser Çalık Ortaokulu’nda meydana gelen saldırıya ilişkin olarak İçişleri Bakanımız Sayın @mustafaciftcitr tarafından; olayın tüm yönleriyle araştırılması amacıyla 4 Mülkiye Başmüfettişi ile 4 Polis Başmüfettişi görevlendirilmiştir.
İçişleri Bakanımız Sayın Mustafa…
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) April 15, 2026
The attacker carried five firearms and seven magazines belonging to his father, provincial Governor Mükerrem Ünlüer said. The father, a police commissioner, was arrested after stating he had brought his son to a police firing range, Turkish authorities said.
Turkish police said the attacker’s WhatsApp profile photo referenced Elliot Rodger, who killed six in Isla Vista, California, in 2014 and whose writings are widely cited in incel (involuntary celibate) online communities. A document found on his computer, dated April 11, 2026, indicated plans for a mass attack, the local prosecutor’s office said.
Eight students and math teacher Ayla Kara, 55, were killed. A 10th victim died in hospital on April 16, authorities said. Six of the 13 wounded were in critical condition.
İçişleri Bakanımız Sayın Mustafa Çiftçi, Adalet Bakanımız Sayın Akın Gürlek, Millî Eğitim Bakanımız Prof. Dr. Sayın Yusuf Tekin ve Sağlık Bakanımız Prof. Dr. Sayın Kemal Memişoğlu ile Kahramanmaraş Valimiz Sayın Mükerrem Ünlüer ve AK Parti Kahramanmaraş Milletvekillerimiz… pic.twitter.com/d0EcSA2CMI
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) April 15, 2026
The attack came 28 hours after a former student wounded 16 with a shotgun at a vocational high school in Şanlıurfa province on April 14. That attacker killed himself after being cornered by police.
Şanlıurfa ili Siverek ilçesinde bulunan Ahmet Koyuncu Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi’nde bugün sabah saatlerinde, 2007 doğumlu ve okulun eski öğrencisi olduğu belirlenen Ö.K. tarafından silahlı saldırı gerçekleştirilmiştir.
Saldırıda ilk belirlemelere göre 10 öğrenci, 4…
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) April 14, 2026
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek announced 162 detentions following both shootings, with 95 accused of sharing footage and glorifying attackers in violation of a broadcast ban. Another 67 were detained over posts threatening 54 schools. Authorities restricted 1,104 accounts and shut down 93 Telegram groups, Turkish officials said.
Turkey’s interior and education ministries held a joint school security meeting on April 17, attended by all 81 governors, police chiefs, and provincial education directors.
Aziz Milletimiz,
Kahramanmaraş’ta bir okulumuzda meydana gelen silahlı saldırı, hepimizin yüreğini dağlamıştır.
Bu elim hadisede hayatını kaybeden evlatlarımıza ve öğretmenimize Allah’tan rahmet; ailelerine, eğitim camiamıza ve aziz milletimize başsağlığı diliyoruz. Yaralı…
— T.C. İçişleri Bakanlığı (@TC_icisleri) April 15, 2026
“Our grief is endless. These children were like our own. They were all innocent,” said Vezir Yücel, a parent whose son’s close friend, 10-year-old Bayram, was killed in the attack.
