South-eastern Turkey witnessed a scene of profound sorrow outside a morgue, where a dozen men carried a coffin. The lightness of the casket underscored the immense loss: it held the remains of a 10-year-old boy.
His father, visibly shattered, followed behind, supported by relatives. His anguished cries, “Oh, my martyred child,” and “oh my darling,” echoed the devastation.
This boy was one of eight children tragically shot and killed on a Wednesday in Kahramanmaras. The perpetrator, a 14-year-old fellow student, also claimed the life of a teacher. The city, long celebrated for its ice cream, is now marked by a horrifying distinction: the site of Turkey’s first lethal mass school shooting.
Coffins, each draped with the Turkish flag, emerged one by one. Relatives, neighbors, and emergency services stood in silent witness. From the crowd, an angry voice erupted, directed at a line of police officers: “Too late, too late.” The accusation hung heavy in the air, questioning their failure to protect the children. Another woman, consumed by fury, demanded the attacker be publicly executed, unaware he had already died at the scene.
Near the main mosque, a mother’s grief was palpable as she leaned over to touch her daughter Zeynep’s coffin. From their family home, adjacent to Ayser Calik Secondary School, she had heard the shots that ended her 10-year-old’s life. The sound resonated far beyond the school grounds, sending shockwaves across Turkey.
Zeynep’s relatives described her as bright and respectful. “She became an angel, and she flew away,” her uncle, Mahmut, said, his voice thick with emotion. He expressed a deep-seated wish for enhanced school security. “My only wish is to have more security at the schools, so this does not happen again. This pain landed on us. I do not want it to fall on anyone else.”
This devastating incident occurred just one day after a former student opened fire in another school in the same region. That student wounded 16 individuals before taking his own life.
Professor Asli Carkoglu, an expert in adolescent psychology, noted the proximity of these two attacks. “There have been two attacks, in a very short period, both in cities with lower incomes,” she observed. “These things do have a way of spreading.”
She expressed concern that the fatal shooting could serve as a disturbing precedent. “an example for young minds that are frustrated enough,” she stated.
For those working with young people, the attack was tragic but not entirely unexpected. “There have been stabbings, beatings and attempted suicides in the school system,” she informed the BBC. “The guns weren’t there before, but the violence was.”
As the funeral rites commenced, more information emerged regarding the shooter. Authorities reported that he had referenced Elliot Rodgers, an American gunman responsible for a 2014 California school shooting, on social media. A computer entry dated April 11 further suggested plans for a significant attack in the near future.
Accessing weapons proved tragically simple; he retrieved them from his father’s bedroom. The father, a former police officer, is now under arrest. Local media reports indicate his statement to authorities painted a picture of a bright yet troubled teenager, engrossed in computer war games and attending psychological counseling.
While school shootings are a familiar narrative in the United States, this event marks a profound new trauma for Turkey. Government officials are working to manage public sentiment and control the flow of information.
Approximately 150 individuals have been detained for social media posts related to the killings, accused of disseminating misinformation or “glorifying crime and criminals.” Furthermore, over 1,000 social media accounts and Telegram groups have been blocked.
Initial investigations show no connection between the two attacks this week. Police have stated that preliminary findings suggest the Kahramanmaras shooter acted alone and was not associated with any terrorist organizations.
At the school gates, now secured and monitored by police, teachers placed flowers in remembrance of the children who lost their lives in a place that should have been safe.