Lebanese Internal Security Forces officers in front of the courthouse in Beirut. (Credit: Hassan Ammar/AFP File Photo)
A shooting in Burj Hammoud that left one man injured resulted from a series of events involving prostitution, drug use and a confrontation among several individuals, according to a statement released by the Internal Security Forces (ISF) on Thursday.
A man was injured in a shooting in Burj Hammoud on Dec. 5, 2025, following a verbal altercation, the ISF said. According to the statement, a dispute broke out between B.R. (born in 1998, Lebanese) and an unidentified individual, who subsequently opened fire using a handgun, wounding B.R. in the leg. The victim was transported to hospital for treatment, while the shooter fled the scene on a motorcycle to an unknown location.
Following the incident, the ISF investigations revealed that the shooter was at the residence of T.S. (born in 1988, Lebanese), a transgender individual and a friend of B.R.
T.S. told investigators that the shooter had contacted him through social media and visited his home, but later decided to leave. As the shooter was departing, a verbal altercation occurred between him and B.R., during which gunfire was exchnaged. T.S. stated that he did not know the shooter’s identity.
The Information Branch identified the suspect as A.F. (born in 2003, Palestinian). On Jan. 9, 2026, following surveillance and monitoring, a patrol arrested him in the Cola area.
During interrogation, A.F. admitted that he had gone to the residence of someone he believed to be a woman working in prostitution. After paying the agreed amount, he demanded his money back upon discovering that the person was a transgender male. When the money was not returned and he was expelled from the residence, he attempted to leave the area.
He stated that at that point, a person later identified as B.R. approached him, asked him to leave, and brandished a knife in an attempt to "rob him." He said he then fired a gunshot at B.R. in order to escape, adding that the handgun used in the shooting was kept at his home.
B.R. and T.S. also admitted to drug use, according to the statement.
The ISF said that all those involved were subjected to the necessary legal measures and referred to the competent judicial authority, based on the instructions of the competent judiciary.
