Teenager dies in ‘accidental’ shooting

AMMAN — A 17-year-old girl died of a gunshot wound in the Jordan Valley on Thursday, according to official sources

The victim, who cannot be identified because of her age, reportedly died after being shot by a single bullet fired from a shotgun, a senior official source said.

In their initial testimony to investigators, the teenager’s family said their daughter “was playing with the shotgun when a bullet was accidentally fired hitting her in the stomach”, the source told The Jordan Times.

A post-mortem examination conducted by a team of pathologists headed by Ali Shotar from the Irbid National Centre for Forensic Medicine concluded that the girl died of a single bullet wound to the stomach, a medical source said.

“Pathologists established that the victim, who was engaged, was shot at close range, which strengthens the possibility that she shot herself,” the medical source added.

Public Security Department Spokesperson Maj. Amer Sartawi said police are investigating the incident and questioning her family.

“Police are questioning the victim’s relatives and have not ruled out any possibility in this incident, but are leaning towards considering it as an accidental shooting,” Sartawi told The Jordan Times.