JEDDAH, 18 December — The motive behind the gruesome murder in Ayn Shams town in Al-Jamoum last Saturday is not known yet, but neighbors of the military man who shot his young daughter dead and seriously wounded his son before attempting to kill himself on the eve of Eid said it could have been the result of a persistent family quarrel.
“I never thought a disagreement in the family would drive the man to such a state of madness and to commit gruesome acts like this,” Al-Madinah newspaper quoted one of his neighbors as saying.
Daifullah Al-Bahri, another neighbor of the man who worked in the military in Taif, wondered “how a father can murder his own children, so young and innocent.”
The family quarrel had aggravated since the start of Ramadan and the woman sought legal protection from her husband’s brutalities, the neighbors said.
The woman later left their house to live with her parents and the children were left in the care of her husband’s father. On the day of the crime, the man took his children for a walk with his mother’s permission, local people said.
They said the man was very fond of his children and was found often in their company.
The man underwent surgery at King Abdul Aziz hospital to remove bullets lodged near his heart. A medical report issued by the hospital said he showed symptoms of psychosis. The report added that he required prolonged treatment and a life free of tension.
The man, who is under police custody, did not reveal the reasons for his violent behavior, but kept on saying that he was fed up with life.
