Sakarya teen shot dead at birthday party; friend arrested for homicide

On 24 July in Ahmediye Mahallesi, Sakarya, 14‑year‑old Murat İmrağ was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the forehead after attending his sister's birthday celebration at a house owned by his friend's grandfather. Initial statements suggested suicide, but forensic analysis showed the shot was fired from a distance of 60‑70 cm, making self‑infliction physically impossible.

Sixteen‑year‑old Y.D.S., who was present in the same room, was detained, claimed the boy had shot himself, and later arrested after investigators linked the firearm—belonging to his retired police grandfather—to the incident. Murat’s father, Özkan İmrağ, publicly denounced the handling of the case, accusing authorities of trying to disguise a murder as an accident.