On Wednesday morning, Jihad Rebhi Rabah
Shaqqour, 17, from al-Zawia village west of Salfit, died of a wound he
had sustained on the previous evening when a bullet was discharged from
his father's pistol as he mishandled it.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR,
at approximately 16:15 on Tuesday, 11 August 2009, a gunshot was heard
on the ground floor of Rabhi Rabah Shaqqour's house in al-Zawia village,
west of Salfit. Shaqqour immediately stepped down from the upper floor
towards the source of the sound. He found his child, 17-year-old Jihad,
bleeding from the head. He evacuated him to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.
Medical efforts to save the child's life failed and he was pronounced
dead at approximately 01:30 on Wednesday, 12 August 2009.
The Salfit Chief of Police stated to PCHR that
initial investigations indicated that the child was playing with a
pistol belonging to his father. The case was referred to the Attorney
General's office and the body was transferred to the forensic medicine
department.
PCHR is concerned over the increasing number
of deaths and casualties resulting from the misuse of weapons and calls
upon the relevant authorities to take all necessary measures to ensure
the non-recurrence of such incidents.
