Mohammed Al-Malki
Okaz/Saudi Gazette
JAZAN — The seven Saudis who were shot dead on Thursday at the department of education of the Al-Dayer Bani Malik in Jazan region by an outraged teacher, were laid to rest on Saturday after funeral prayers were offered for them.
Jazan Emir Prince Muhammad Bin Nasser paid condolences to the families of the victims and assured them that the leadership was deeply concerned about the affairs of every citizen in the country.
He also visited the only survivor Jaber Bin Yahya Al-Malki in the hospital wishing him speedy recovery.
Education Minister Ahmed Al-Issa and the directors of the education departments in the region joined the funeral prayers which were held at the mosque of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques in Al-Dayer.
Abdullah Ahmed Jouhali was laid down to rest in Al-Hossaini graveyard in Sabya, his home town. A large number of citizens participated in the funeral procession which was led by Governor of the town Hassan Al-Hazmi and Director of Education Asiri Al-Ahwas.
The burial of the seventh victim, Hassan Musa Al-Malki, was delayed because his body was not handed over to his family pending an autopsy.
The hospital said a bullet was still in his body and that a forensic doctor had to see him before his corpse could be given to his family.
Al-Malki, the sole survivor of the mass massacre, who is the director of the administrative and financial affairs in the department, said he did not know the real motives of the killer who shot randomly at every moving object.
“The last thing I heard from him before I fainted out was that he was asking about any other living person to kill him,” he said.
Al-Malki said the assassin barged into his office in the first floor at about 1.30 p.m. on Thursday, pointed his machine gun at him and started shooting.
He said he received two bullets in his shoulder, fell down and could not believe that he was alive.
“I heard my colleagues moaning. The killer went to the upper floors and came back to see if anyone of us was still alive,” he said.
Al-Malki said when he heard the killer saying he wanted to kill anyone alive, he faked death but soon entered into a coma from which he only awoke in the hospital.
He said one of the victims was not an employee of the department but a teacher who came to the office for some paperwork.
The motives behind the heinous crime were not immediately known but the colleagues of the assassin said he had of late shown some disturbances and outrage.
