Saudi Gazette report TURBAH — Many residents have complained about an increase in celebratory gunfire in the governorate, which claimed several innocent lives in the past. They have called on the authorities to crack down on this negative practice and impose strict penalties on violators, Alsharq newspaper reported on Saturday. A young girl died during a wedding after she was hit by two stray bullets during celebratory gunfire at a wedding Hotat Bani Tamim, 160 km from Riyadh, last week. The guests were celebrating the arrival of the bridegroom and were firing guns in the air as part of tradition. Following the incident, the wedding was stopped. Police have arrested several people. Residents of Turbah, Al-Khorma and Arafa towns celebrate their weddings with gunfire and many invitees fire wildly in the air when the bridegroom leaves his home and heads for the wedding palace. Some keep shooting in the air until the bridegroom arrives at the hall. Often a stray bullet may hit and kill someone. Muhammad Dakhawi, a resident of Taif, said some of the invitees fire their guns inside residential areas where many children and families watch the wedding procession.
Authorities should punish those reckless people who put innocent people's lives on the line with such careless behavior. Mazeed Al-Juaid described the practice as uncivilized, dangerous and unjustifiable. Many people have lost their lives to this negative practice and many joyful nights have turned into gloomy and sad nights because the death of a beloved one who got shot by mistake, said Al-Juaid. People's lives and property are a red line and those who cross it should be punished, he added. Al-Juaid lost his wife during a celebratory gunfire. The shocking thing was that it was her husband who shot her by mistake in the hands and one of her legs while he was firing in the air. “While shooting in the air, I lost control over the machine gun and some bullets strayed toward some women who had gathered there. My wife was among them. I was also badly hurt because I too was hit by a bullet.” Al-Juaid felt great sorrow, regret and pain and decided never to engage in such dangerous activities again. “There are about millions of ways one can express his happiness without hurting others.” Badar Al-Buqami said his cousin was hit by a bullet during a celebratory gunfire and his face was badly damaged. The wedding turned into a nightmare. “Police should monitor these weddings and stop anyone who wants to shoot his gun in the air as a form of celebration.” Turbah police chief Col. Ali Al-Asmari stressed that the owners of wedding palaces have been warned against allowing the use of celebratory gunfire during weddings. Police patrol teams have visited wedding halls on several occasions and their owners of have been made to sign an undertaking that they will not allow such practice and they will report violators to the police, Al-Asmari said. He added that a group of people were arrested during weddings for firing in the air and they were given appropriate punishments.
