16.04.2026 13:39
The statement of the father of İsa Aras Mersinli, the perpetrator of the school attack in Kahramanmaraş, has emerged. Police inspector father Uğur Mersinli, who said he kept the weapons locked in chests at home, stated that he did not know how his son opened these chests. Mersinli, who indicated he had 7 licensed weapons, said, 'The chests are locked; he must have learned how to open them, but I don't remember him opening them in my presence.'
Following the school attack in Şanlıurfa's Siverek district, the massacre that occurred this time at a middle school in Kahramanmaraş deeply shook Turkey. Eighth-grade student İsa Aras Mersinli entered two classrooms with 5 guns and 7 magazines he brought with him and opened fire. In the attack, 9 people lost their lives, while 20 people were injured.
FATHER ARRESTED
The father, Uğur Mersinli, who was detained after the attack and learned to be a police inspector, was arrested by the court he was brought before. Mersinli admitted in his statement that the guns used in the incident belonged to him.
"THE GUNS BELONG TO ME"
In his statement to the court, Mersinli, stating that he had numerous licensed guns, said, "I have 7 licensed carry guns and two shotguns. My son took 5 of these guns and went to school on the day of the incident."
HOW DID HE GET THE GUNS?
The father, who said he kept the guns in locked chests at home, stated that he did not know how his son opened these chests. Mersinli said, "The chests are locked, he must have learned how to open them, but I don't remember him opening them in my presence."
"HE WAS GOING TO A PSYCHOLOGIST"
Mersinli, stating that his son had been receiving psychological support recently, said they had been seeing a specialist for about two months, but in recent weeks, he did not want to continue these sessions. He conveyed that the specialist had indicated the child needed to be monitored regarding social adjustment.
"HE WAS PLAYING WAR GAMES"
In his statement, the father explained that his son used the computer extensively and frequently played war-themed games. He expressed that he had difficulty monitoring his son's digital world because he did not know English.
TOOK HIM TO THE SHOOTING RANGE
Mersinli also said that shortly before the incident, he took his son to the shooting range and had him shoot with a gun.