VIDEO: Lebanese man kills woman and commits suicide after she refused to marry him

Gulf Today Report

A Lebanese man named Shebl Abu Najm shot dead a woman named Maria Hatta for refusing to marry him, and then committed suicide in a parking lot of a restaurant in Zahle area, Beqaa Governorate, Lebanon.

Sheble reportedly waited until Maria came out of the restaurant and got into her car, and then drove towards her car before getting out and pointing his gun at her head, ending her life with a gunshot.

He then shot himself, but he did not die immediately.

He died at the hospital, local media reported.

Maria refused to marry him, because he was married and was a father of a child, her schoolmate at Zahle Public High School told media.

Daughter of Taalabaya village was also known for her faith and love for the church.

“Maria was the daughter of the church who inculcated love and joy in the hearts of everyone. She was a social person, leaving no activity organized by Mar Elias-Taalabaya Youth without taking part in it,” Ellei, her colleague in the Mar Elias-Taalabaya Youth, told local media.

Sheble previously threatened Maria to kill her, Ellei added, noting that ten days ago, he started to pursue her, before he ended her life.

It was also said that Maria did not want to repeat the failure of a previous marriage. She, ten years ago, married a man for days, but he was a swindler and separated from her under the pretext of having to flee outside the country because of the debt incurred.

She was involved in the debt and worked to pay it.

With the murder of Maria, the number of women killed to date in 2023 has reached 12 victims, in addition to six attempted murders and seven suicides, according to the Facebook page of “KAFA (enough) Violence & Exploitation” organisation which had previously monitored about 18 murders as a result of spousal violence last year.