5-year-old survives 16-day battle after pellet gun injury

A 5-year-old boy has survived a severe injury after being shot in the back with an air rifle pellet at a friend's house. Karan Aydınlısoy was playing by a pool with friends on July 7 when the incident occurred. The pellet caused significant damage, tearing through his lung and narrowly missing major blood vessels near his heart.

After a 16-day fight for his life in intensive care, Karan was discharged on July 22, 2026. He is scheduled for surgery in about three weeks to remove the pellet from his body. His mother, Naz Aydınlısoy, described the harrowing moments after the shooting, recounting how she initially thought her son had injured himself on something in the pool before realizing the severity of the wound.

"When I cleaned the blood, I saw there was a huge hole there," she said, describing the moment she discovered the pellet's entry point. "My life stopped when I saw that hole. My brain and body couldn't accept such a thing."

Authorities have arrested and jailed a 17-year-old suspect who was identified as the one who fired the air rifle. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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When I cleaned the blood, I saw there was a huge hole there. My life stopped when I saw that hole. My brain and body couldn't accept such a thing.