Man charged with murder over shooting of nephew in Jerash

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Thursday charged a 49-year-old man with premeditated murder in connection with the alleged shooting death of his nephew in Jerash, 48km north of the capital, on Tuesday, official sources said.

The 28-year-old victim was shot several times, including  through his coronary artery, allegedly by his uncle while at his family’s home, Public Security Department Spokesperson Lt. Col. Amer Sartawi said.

“The suspect, a merchant, fled from the house but later turned himself in to police,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.

In his initial testimony to Prosecutor Qahtan Qawaqzeh, the suspect claimed that his nephew was “a troublemaker and a drug addict”, a senior judicial source said.

“The suspect said the victim’s father called family members to his house to discuss his son’s behaviour,” the judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The victim was confronted by everyone who was at the house about his alleged “troubling behaviour and the family was intending to call the police to come and arrest him. So he pulled out a knife and asked everyone to stay away from him while he attempted to leave the house”, according to the judicial source.

The suspect tried to stop him from leaving by “shooting him in the legs, but one bullet hit his coronary artery and caused heavy bleeding”, the source added.

The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival, according to the source.

Qawaqzeh ordered the detention of the suspect for 15 days at a correctional and rehabilitation centre pending further investigation and indictment.