Police arrest suspects in stray bullet shooting of teenage girl at MP celebration

AMMAN — Police have arrested three suspects after a teenager was killed by festive firing at an event to celebrate a lawmaker’s election, the Public Security Department (PSD) said on Monday. 

An 18-year-old girl was killed on Saturday after being struck by a “stray bullet” during an event to celebrate the election of Yihya Saud to Parliament in east Amman.

PSD Director Maj. Gen. Atef Saudi formed a special committee comprising personnel from Amman’s PSD, and the criminal investigation and preventive security departments to investigate the shooting, the PSD said in a statement.

The committee identified several suspects, three of whom were arrested in possession of two firearms which were sent to the crime lab to check if either was linked to the girl’s death. 

The suspects will be referred to the judiciary following further investigation, while a search for other suspects is ongoing, the PSD said. 

Local media outlets reported that the teenager’s family, angered over the shooting, allegedly damaged facilities at Al Bashir Hospital, where she was reportedly taken. 

The PSD said on Monday that three people had been arrested for causing chaos at the hospital, and that a search was under way for others involved in the incident.

The death of the teenager during the celebration was the talk of Jordanians and social media users over the past two days, particularly after a video was circulated on social media networks showing heavy shooting at the event.