Suspect charged with manslaughter over Sports City Circle shooting

AMMAN — A 30-year-old motorist was charged on Wednesday with manslaughter in connection with the shooting death of a passenger in a minivan at the Sports City Circle on Monday, official sources said.

Criminal Court Prosecutor Mohammad Daradkeh also charged the suspect, the owner of a company, with attempted manslaughter in the same incident, a senior judicial source told The Jordan Times.

The suspect reportedly opened fire on a minivan, striking one passenger before driving away from the busy circle.

A 31-year-old man, one of four passengers in the minivan, was struck and killed by a bullet allegedly fired by the suspect.

In his initial confession to Daradkeh, the suspect said that he left his home near the University of Jordan and headed to his office in Abdoun, the source said.

“The suspect claimed that that the minivan stalked him and attempted to pull him over but he refused because he did not know the people riding it,” the source added.

When the suspect reached the Sports City Circle, “he pulled his gun and fired several rounds to scare the driver of the minivan and left not realising that he had harmed anyone,” according to the source.

“The suspect said when he returned home, he read on media outlets that a man was shot and killed in that location and realised that he might have been responsible  the source said, quoting the suspect’s initial confessions before Daradkeh.

On Tuesday, police officials said the shooting occurred over a fierce argument on right of way between the suspect, who was driving a Range Rover, and the driver of the Hyundai minivan.

The police said the argument started at the tunnel leading to the Sports City Circle, where the incident occurred.

The police also said that they reviewed cameras located on the circle and managed to locate the suspect and arrest him at his home at around 4am.

Daradkeh will continue to question witnesses, including passengers of the minivan, the judicial source said.

The suspect was ordered detained at a correctional and rehabilitation centre for 15 days pending further investigations, the source added.