Abu Dhabi: An Emirati woman who was shot by her husband earlier this month has reportedly died at a hospital in the capital.
According to friends and family posting on social media, the victim, who was in her forties, was in a coma, and died from her gunshot wounds. She was being treated at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC), a public hospital in Abu Dhabi.
It was not immediately clear when she died. No official police statement has yet been issued, and no confirmation was available when authorities were contacted by Gulf News. The hospital also declined to comment, saying it was a police case.
The social media reports, however, claim that the victim’s body will be sent back to her family in Al Twain village in Fujairah, from where she hails, after police investigations are completed.
As reported by Gulf News on July 10, the woman was shot by her Emirati husband in Ras Al Khaimah following a heated argument. She sustained several gunshot injuries, and was admitted to a nearby hospital before being transferred to the SKMC.
Her husband, who is also in his forties, had surrendered to police after the shooting. He remains in police custody, sources told Gulf News.
The UAE Law Number 5 of 2009 regulates the right for Emiratis to own weapons in the UAE. To own and carry any kind of weapon requires an official permission from the government. Those who want to own or carry any weapon, including firearms, have to submit an application to the Ministry of Interior. The applicant has to cite reasons for owning or carrying the weapon, which could include self-defence, hunting, etc.
A six-month permit or licence is then issued, which can be renewed. In most cases, the permit is sought for the purposes of hunting.
