Limited public biographical data exists on Mehmet Altun’s early life prior to the events in Konya. At the time of the incident, Altun was approximately 33 years old, placing his birth around 1987–1988. His life before the killings is not widely documented in public sources; no verified records of his upbringing, education, employment history, or personal background have been published in major news outlets or reference works. What is known largely stems from legal and news reporting focusing on the 2021 Konya massacre investigation rather than a full pre‑crime biography.

On 30 July 2021, in the Meram district of Konya Province, central Turkey, seven members of the Dedeoğulları family, an ethnic Kurdish household, were shot and killed at their residence. Video footage from security cameras showed a man — later identified as Mehmet Altun — entering the property, speaking briefly to the family members in the courtyard, then drawing a firearm and fatally shooting all seven individuals, comprised of four women and three men. After the shootings, the perpetrator attempted to set the house on fire, then got into a car and left the scene.

The family had previously been subjected to threats and violence earlier in 2021. On 12 May 2021, they were attacked near their home; several members were injured, including one who required stitches, another who was stabbed, and a woman who suffered a broken arm. According to the family’s account, assailants in that incident said they did not want Kurdish residents living in the neighborhood.

Following the massacre, local authorities initiated a broad investigation. Security forces detained 14 suspects connected to the incident; 10 were later formally arrested, including Altun and several relatives. Four others were released under judicial control. Altun was found after several days of being at large, apprehended by law enforcement in a rural area outside Konya on 4–5 August 2021.

In official statements and testimony, Altun acknowledged his actions. He told investigators he had armed himself and brought gasoline with him to destroy security footage. Autopsies revealed that the seven victims sustained a total of 21 gunshot wounds, with six individuals shot in the head and one in the neck. Accounts provided by Altun after his arrest indicated he was remorseful but confirmed both the shooting and the attempt to burn the house.

The legal process extended into 2022. Court reports from November 2022 state that Altun received aggravated life imprisonment sentences for each of the seven murders, reflecting the premeditated nature of the crime.

The massacre triggered a wide public debate in Turkey, including disputes over whether the attack was ethnically motivated or rooted in a longstanding personal feud. Government officials publicly denied racist motives, while family representatives and rights groups characterized the killings as racially driven.