Sanaa massacre
Encyclopedia
The Sana' a school shooting was a school shooting that occurred in Sana'a
, Yemen
, on March 30, 1997. 48-year-old Mohammad Ahman al-Nazari – who had fought against the Soviets
in Afghanistan
– began his rampage at Tala'i Private School in the Asbahi township. Armed with an illegally obtained Kalashnikov
assault rifle
, he waited for the headmistress and killed her by shooting her in the head. After killing a cafeteria worker and injuring a bus driver who came to help he entered the school building and walked from classroom to classroom, shooting indiscriminately at teachers and students. Subsequently he went to nearby Musa Bin Nusayr School where he continued his rampage, that left a total of six people dead and 12 others wounded, before he himself was injured and arrested.
Nazari, whose five children attended the Tala'i school, alleged that one of his daughters had been rape
d by the school administrator. No evidence was found of this.
Nazari had been a bus driver for the two schools, but was fired for unknown reasons some time before the shooting.
After being declared sane, Nazari, whose name was also reported as being Hassan Ali al-Baadani or Muhammad Ahmad al-Naziri, was sentenced to death
the next day for killing a headmistress, a teacher, a cafeteria worker, a bystander and two students and executed
with five shots in the chest in an empty lot between the two schools on April 5, 1997. An initial sentence to nail his body on a cross for three days was repealed.
After his execution, Nazari's body was kicked to a pulp by angry citizens and burned. His daughters fought the courts against the execution but lost. The daughter who was allegedly raped committed suicide five years later; the other four children all died in a train accident in 2006.
Sana'a
-Districts:*Al Wahdah District*As Sabain District*Assafi'yah District*At Tahrir District*Ath'thaorah District*Az'zal District*Bani Al Harith District*Ma'ain District*Old City District*Shu'aub District-Old City:...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, on March 30, 1997. 48-year-old Mohammad Ahman al-Nazari – who had fought against the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
– began his rampage at Tala'i Private School in the Asbahi township. Armed with an illegally obtained Kalashnikov
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
assault rifle
Assault rifle
An assault rifle is a selective fire rifle that uses an intermediate cartridge and a detachable magazine. Assault rifles are the standard infantry weapons in most modern armies...
, he waited for the headmistress and killed her by shooting her in the head. After killing a cafeteria worker and injuring a bus driver who came to help he entered the school building and walked from classroom to classroom, shooting indiscriminately at teachers and students. Subsequently he went to nearby Musa Bin Nusayr School where he continued his rampage, that left a total of six people dead and 12 others wounded, before he himself was injured and arrested.
Nazari, whose five children attended the Tala'i school, alleged that one of his daughters had been rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
d by the school administrator. No evidence was found of this.
Nazari had been a bus driver for the two schools, but was fired for unknown reasons some time before the shooting.
After being declared sane, Nazari, whose name was also reported as being Hassan Ali al-Baadani or Muhammad Ahmad al-Naziri, was sentenced to death
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
the next day for killing a headmistress, a teacher, a cafeteria worker, a bystander and two students and executed
Execution by firing squad
Execution by firing squad, sometimes called fusillading , is a method of capital punishment, particularly common in the military and in times of war.Execution by shooting is a fairly old practice...
with five shots in the chest in an empty lot between the two schools on April 5, 1997. An initial sentence to nail his body on a cross for three days was repealed.
After his execution, Nazari's body was kicked to a pulp by angry citizens and burned. His daughters fought the courts against the execution but lost. The daughter who was allegedly raped committed suicide five years later; the other four children all died in a train accident in 2006.
Victims
- Asma Abd al-Bari, headmistress of Tala'i school
- Muhammad Yahya al-Ulufi, teacher at Tala'i school
- Husayn Ali Qa'id al-Ba'dani
- Ali Muhammad Muqbil al-Awadi
- Imad Muhammad al-Raymi
- Unidentified student
External links
- Gunman kills eight at two schools in Yemen, CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
(March 30, 1997)