Jordan gunman kills wife and two employees at social development centre before taking own life

Dubai: Four people were killed in a shooting at a social development centre south of the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Saturday after a gunman opened fire inside the facility before he ended his own life, the Public Security Directorate (PSD) said.

The shooting took place at a social development centre in the Hasban area, where the attacker killed three people, including his ex-wife and two employees, according to a statement by the PSD.

Authorities later found the gunman suffering from a gunshot wound, and it is believed he had taken his own life. He was taken to hospital but subsequently died, the PSD said, without providing further details on the circumstances of the incident, bringing the death toll to four.

Jordanian authorities have launched an investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A senior official at the Ministry of Social Development said the shooting was carried out by a man who targeted his ex-wife and two employees inside the centre.

The official said the gunman's ex-wife worked at the Princess Basma Development Centre in Hasban, which is affiliated with the Jordanian Hashemite Fund for Human Development and the Social Services Council in Madaba and operates under the Ministry of Local Administration. The attacker arrived at the centre on Saturday morning and opened fire on her, as well as on a female employee working at the facility and a grounds maintenance worker.

Preliminary accounts indicated that the gunman caused panic and chaos inside the centre, with staff and visitors caught in terrifying scenes as he fired repeated rounds in different parts of the building. Initial witness statements suggested he appeared highly agitated and may have acted amid anger linked to previous family disputes, although authorities have yet to confirm a motive.