A terrible family tragedy shook the city of Benghazi, where a man killed his seven children and then committed suicide. According to a statement from the City Security Directorate, the bodies of the father, identified as Hassan Khairallah al Zoui, and the children were found in a car parked on the way home from school. The children still wore their school uniforms.
Local authorities announced that the victims, aged between 5 and 13, were killed by a single shot to the head. A 9 mm pistol was found next to the father’s body and only his fingerprints were on it. The wife stated that her husband legally owned a gun and that he took care of the children after their temporary separation.
The Prime Minister of the government appointed by the Libyan House of Representatives, Osama Hamad, ordered an immediate investigation into the death of Hassan al Zoui and his children. In a message published on the X platform, Hamad expressed his condolences to the family of the victims and called on the authorities to “thoroughly shed light on the case and inform the public as soon as possible”.
The prime minister of the eastern Libyan government emphasized the need to “treat this case in accordance with the law, in order to ensure justice and prevent the repetition of similar tragedies.” The incident caused strong emotions on Libyan social networks, where numerous users sought clarification on the circumstances of the crime, which took place in the Al Hawari settlement.
The director of security in Benghazi, General Salah Houeidi, confirmed in a video address that preliminary investigations indicate that the father killed seven children before taking his own life. According to him, the children – Mayar, Khairallah, Lamar, Mohammed, Abdul Rahman, Abdul Rahim and Ahmed – were found in the car, six on the seats and one in the trunk. They were all killed by a bullet in the head, while the youngest child showed signs of torture.
The general added that the gun found in the vehicle had only the father’s fingerprints on it. The first checks of weapons, phones and surveillance cameras confirmed that it was a suicide.
The head of the Supreme Council of the Zway tribe, Sheikh al Senussi al Hleiq al Zoui, stated that the perpetrator of the massacre “suffered from serious psychological problems” and “resorted to the practices of magic and sorcery”. In an interview with the Al Wasat portal, the tribal leader said that, according to the family and witnesses, the man lived in isolation after he separated from his wives, and showed signs of mental instability.
Al Zoui pointed out that his tribe is closely following the investigation in cooperation with the competent authorities and praised the “efforts of the security forces to shed light on the circumstances of the crimes”. He also confirmed that the preliminary findings point to the father as the only perpetrator.
The tribal leader called on citizens to remain calm and “not to spread rumors or fake news on social networks”, announcing legal measures against those who spread misinformation. In the end, he emphasized that the Zway community “is against anyone who tries to use this tragedy to incite internal divisions or tensions.”
(Vijesti.ba)
