A Syrian man whose mother and two of his sisters were killed in a shooting in Ras Al Khaimah has recalled the horror of the night that has left his family shocked and distraught.
The incident occurred shortly before midnight on May 5, when Maher Wafai, 40, who works in Sharjah, received a devastating call from a family member while returning home to Ras Al Khaimah.
He was informed that his mother and three of his sisters had been attacked. Upon arriving at the scene, Mr Wafai found that his 66-year-old mother and three of his sisters, aged 36, 38 and 47, had been shot.
His mother and 36-year-old sister died at the scene, while his 38-year-old sister and 47-year-old sister were taken to hospital with serious injuries. A terrified fourth sister, aged 30, remained in the family home.
“I still can’t believe what happened,” Mr Wafai told The National.
Deadly parking dispute
“My mother and four sisters were in the house when my neighbour arrived and became angry over [someone] blocking the road,” Mr Wafai added. “He claimed my sister’s car was blocking the narrow road to his house.”
Mr Wafai said his 36-year-old sister went outside and had an argument with the man.
“She went to the car to give him more space, when he ran over her. He then stepped out with a gun and shot her. I don’t know what happened and what he was thinking in that moment,” Mr Wafai added.
When his 38-year-old sister then went out, Mr Wafai said the gunman shot her too.
“She stepped outside the house with her 11-year-old son, trying to call the police, when he shot her in the neck. She gave the phone to her son to get help from the police.”
The attacker aimed his gun at the boy but Mr Wafai's sister, despite being already injured, blocked the bullet with the palm of her hand and the boy managed to run away.
The family's nightmare then got even worse when Mr Wafai's mother went out to confront the gunman. “Then my mother went outside yelling, and he shot her in the head,” said Mr Wafai.
Ras Al Khaimah Police arrived within minutes and arrested the suspect, a 55-year-old Yemeni man.
Authorities said the shooting was triggered by a dispute over a blocked road near the family’s home. The case is currently under investigation by the Ras Al Khaimah Public Prosecution and is expected to be referred to the emirate’s court soon.
'Horrific times'
While Mr Wafai's 38-year-old sister did not die at the scene, her injuries were so bad that she died in hospital four days later. The 47-year-old sister has recovered from her injuries.
The suspect is expected to face charges of premeditated murder over the death of the three women and a charge of attempted murder with regards to the 47-year-old woman.
“We leave the case in the hands of the law. We are calling for the death penalty for the suspect and we trust the UAE justice system,” Mr Wafai said.
Mr Wafai, who has lived in the UAE with his family since he was 18, said they have now left the house and area.
“We went through horrific times. I buried my mother and sisters. We are still in shock and disbelief,” he said.
“The UAE is a safe country and always protects its citizens, residents and visitors. We know justice will be served.”
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Dust storm
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- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
England's Ashes squad
Joe Root (captain), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Sam Curran, Joe Denly, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes.
No Shame
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(Parlophone)
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Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
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MATCH INFO
Manchester City 2 (Mahrez 04', Ake 84')
Leicester City 5 (Vardy 37' pen, 54', 58' pen, Maddison 77', Tielemans 88' pen)
Man of the match: Jamie Vardy (Leicester City)
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
Brief scores:
Everton 2
Walcott 21', Sigurdsson 51'
Tottenham 6
Son 27', 61', Alli 35', Kane 42', 74', Eriksen 48'
Man of the Match: Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur)
How to report a beggar
Abu Dhabi – Call 999 or 8002626 (Aman Service)
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OUTSTANDING BRITISH FILM
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ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
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ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
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DOCUMENTARY
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OUTSTANDING DEBUT BY A BRITISH WRITER, DIRECTOR OR PRODUCER
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ANIMATED FILM
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CASTING
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EE RISING STAR AWARD (voted for by the public)
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CINEMATOGRAPHY
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EDITING
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- ONCE UPON A TIME… IN HOLLYWOOD - Fred Raskin
COSTUME DESIGN
- THE IRISHMAN - Christopher Peterson, Sandy Powell
- JOJO RABBIT - Mayes C. Rubeo
- JUDY - Jany Temime
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PRODUCTION DESIGN
- 1917 - Dennis Gassner, Lee Sandales
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SOUND
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- JOKER - Tod Maitland, Alan Robert Murray, Tom Ozanich, Dean Zupancic
- LE MANS ’66 - David Giammarco, Paul Massey, Steven A. Morrow, Donald Sylvester
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- STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER - David Acord, Andy Nelson, Christopher Scarabosio, Stuart Wilson, Matthew Wood
ORIGINAL SCORE
- 1917 - Thomas Newman
- JOJO RABBIT - Michael Giacchino
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SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS
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- AVENGERS: ENDGAME - Dan Deleeuw, Dan Sudick
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MAKE UP & HAIR
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- JOKER - Kay Georgiou, Nicki Ledermann
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BRITISH SHORT FILM
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BRITISH SHORT ANIMATION
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Draw:
Group A: Egypt, DR Congo, Uganda, Zimbabwe
Group B: Nigeria, Guinea, Madagascar, Burundi
Group C: Senegal, Algeria, Kenya, Tanzania
Group D: Morocco, Ivory Coast, South Africa, Namibia
Group E: Tunisia, Mali, Mauritania, Angola
Group F: Cameroon, Ghana, Benin, Guinea-Bissau
RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
MATCH INFO
Fixture: Ukraine v Portugal, Monday, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: BeIN Sports
Yahya Al Ghassani's bio
Date of birth: April 18, 1998
Playing position: Winger
Clubs: 2015-2017 – Al Ahli Dubai; March-June 2018 – Paris FC; August – Al Wahda
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 2
Mane 51', Salah 53'
Chelsea 0
Man of the Match: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Top tips to avoid cyber fraud
Microsoft’s ‘hacker-in-chief’ David Weston, creator of the tech company’s Windows Red Team, advises simple steps to help people avoid falling victim to cyber fraud:
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Match info
Premier League
Manchester United 2 (Martial 30', Lingard 69')
Arsenal 2 (Mustafi 26', Rojo 68' OG)
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TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
Our family matters legal consultant
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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