Man charged with manslaughter in ‘accidental’ shooting of older sister

AMMAN — A 35-year-old man was charged on Thursday with the manslaughter of his older sister who reportedly was “accidently” shot and killed at her family’s home in an Amman suburb late Wednesday night, according to a senior judicial source.

The suspect, who was not identified, purportedly had a heated argument with one of his brothers at their Jabal Nasser home and “his 38-year-old sister intervened to stop the fight,” the source said.

The suspect allegedly grabbed an unlicensed gun from a closet and pointed it towards his brother, “but shot his sister instead”, according to his initial confession in front of the police, the source added.

“The suspect claimed that he wanted to shoot his brother because he became enraged by his interference in an old feud with another person, but the bullet struck his unmarried sister instead,” the source noted.

The suspect then left the house and headed to an unknown destination, the source added.

A second source told The Jordan Times that the suspect was arrested late Wednesday night in the Jabal Qalaa neighbourhood after police traced his cell phone.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Omar Hiyari will summon the victim’s two sisters — a widow and a divorcee — as well as her brother, who were all “present during the shooting incident”, for questioning, according to the judicial source.

The suspect was ordered detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigation.