Groom, his father detained over festive firing

AMMAN — The administrative governor on Friday ordered the detention of a groom and his father after live ammunition was reportedly fired during the wedding to celebrate the occasion, a senior police official said Saturday.

The pair were arrested and taken to the Marka Detention Centre following the incident, the police official told The Jordan Times.

The two men will remain in detention until a JD50,000 bail is posted, according to the official.

“We will not tolerate such actions and we will detain anyone who fires live ammunition to celebrate any occasion,” he stressed.

The Public Security Department (PSD) launched a campaign last September to curb festive shooting.

Police radio Amen FM (89.5FM) also launched an initiative during the same period under the theme “Do not Kill Me With Your Happiness”, with the aim of highlighting the negative consequences of festive firing.

Last August, during a meeting with Amman community leaders, His Majesty King Abdullah stressed that no one is above the law. “Even if it were my son who is shooting… I would ask security bodies to take the same measures against him.”

Also in August 2015, the PSD announced stiff measures against violators, including locking up any groom whose wedding includes festive shooting.

The PSD has pledged to conduct campaigns in various governorates and arrest any person who owns a gun without a licence and/or arrest people who fire weapons on any occasion, and individuals who sell weapons and ammunition for this purpose.

According to official figures released in 2014, three people were killed and 41 injured by festive firing that year.