Leghaei groom's cousin fired the shots using his unlicensed high-powered hunting rifle which claimed her life and injured two others.
A joyous occasion turned into a grave one after a bride got hit by a stray bullet just moments after tying the knot. What was supposed to be the happiest day of her life ended up being tragic not just for her but also for everyone else present at the wedding.
Iranian bride Mahvash Leghaei, 24, had just tied the knot when a male guest decided to fire ceremonial gunshots, despite the custom being illegal in Iran, according to New York Post.
Using an unlicensed hunting rifle, the shooter fired the first round uneventfully. But the second one went through Leghaei’s skull and brain before hitting two male guests, according to reports.
Following this, the bride went into a coma and subsequently succumbed to her injuries. The other two victims endured only minor injuries.
Bride shot in head, killed during celebratory gunfire at wedding https://t.co/vk9VkZnrJz pic.twitter.com/pkzh04Ts4c
— New York Post (@nypost) July 18, 2022
According to Colonel Mehdi Jokar, a police spokesperson, "we had an emergency report of a shooting at a wedding venue in Firuzabad city and officers were deployed quickly." The freak incident took place at the wedding south of Shiraz. Jokar blamed "crowds" and "bad control of the weapon" for the unfortunate incident.
“The officers discovered that somebody had fired shots with a hunting rifle as part of the local nomad tradition, but unfortunately because of the crowds and the person’s poor control of the weapon, he managed to shoot three people – two men and the bride."
After the incident, the shooter, who is allegedly the groom's cousin, fled the scene with the weapon in tow but was nabbed by the cops soon. “The shooter then fled the area but police located the man still carrying the unlicensed hunting rifle that had been fired at the wedding,” Jokar said, according to News.au.
Sickening gun violence will never end. to think this was suppose to be the best day of her life. and to have it tragically end is heartbreaking.
— John Pestano 🦁💙 (@Lionsbadboy) July 18, 2022
“Naturally, any disturbance of public order like this crosses the red line with the police, and people need to know that to create a safe community, shooting is banned at weddings,” said Jokar. “We will take tough action against anybody found to be breaking this rule.”
Before her unfortunate death, Leghaei worked as a social worker who assisted drug addicts in overcoming their addictions. After her demise, her organs were donated to three recipients. Leghaei helped people when she was alive, and even in death, she did the same. Here's hoping her family finds the strength to get through this difficult time.
References:
https://nypost.com/2022/07/18/bride-shot-in-head-killed-during-celebratory-gunfire-at-wedding/
Representative Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Tetra Images - Jessica Peterson
