Funeral of the young woman and her 5-year-old son in Anfeh, northern Lebanon. Photo sent to Michel Hallak.
New details emerged Monday about the crime that shocked Lebanon and particularly the Batroun region in the north over the weekend. In the village of Kouba, a man fatally shot his father, wife and 5-year-old son on Saturday before taking his own life.
According to our correspondent in North Lebanon, the investigation to determine what drove Johnny M., a municipal police officer in Kouba, to commit such an act is ongoing. Authorities have seized the killer's car, which he used to travel and kill his father, Assaad, before returning to shoot his wife Leila and son Johnny at their home.
The funeral for the young mother and her child was held Monday in Anfeh, in northern Lebanon, where the victim was from, amid an atmosphere of grief and confusion. The two victims will not be buried in Kouba, as tradition would dictate, due to the wishes of the killer's own family.
It has since been revealed that his young wife, Leila N., was pregnant with their second child.
The University of Balamand in Kour, North Lebanon, released a statement mourning the death of Leila, one of its former students who graduated in 2019. The young woman had been a teacher at Collège Notre-Dame du Balamand since starting her professional career.
Additional reporting by Michel Hallak.