Man charged with manslaughter after allegedly shooting two pharmacists

AMMAN — The Criminal Court prosecutor on Saturday charged a 27-year-old man with manslaughter in connection with the alleged shooting of two pharmacists who refused to sell him tranquilisers in Zarqa over the weekend, official sources said.

The victims, who are brothers, were rushed to a nearby hospital at dawn on Friday where one was declared dead on arrival and the second was listed in good condition, a senior judicial source said.

The two victims were reportedly attacked by the suspect seconds “after kicking him out of the pharmacy because he wanted tranquilisers”, a senior judicial source, who is close to the investigations, told The Jordan Times.

The suspect then reportedly fled the scene and “his father turned him in to police later in the day”, the judicial source added.

Police seized a pistol in the possession of the suspect and investigators sent it to the criminal lab for a ballistic match, a second source told The Jordan Times.

One of the pharmacists received one fatal bullet to the heart, while his brother was shot in the shoulder and is expected to make a speedy recovery, the second source said.

The suspect was ordered detained for 15 days at a correctional and rehabilitation centre by Smadi pending further investigations.

Meanwhile, Jordanian Pharmacists Association (JPhA) condemned the shooting incident, which left one pharmacist dead and another injured.

The JPhA called on the judiciary to inflict the highest punishment against the perpetrator, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported on Saturday.

JPhA President Zeid Kilani called on the Public Security Department to increase the security around pharmacies, especially late at night, Petra said.