On 9 November 2015, a Jordanian police officer opened fire on a police training center staff during their lunch break at the cafeteria in Al-Muwaqqar, Amman, Jordan, killing four, including two Americans, a South African, and a Jordanian. Six others were injured, including three Americans, a Lebanese, and two Jordanians, one of whom later died. The gunman was then killed by a fellow Jordanian officer.[1][2][3]
| Amman shooting attack | |
|---|---|
| Location | Al-Muwaqqar, Amman, Jordan |
| Date | November 9, 2015 |
Attack type | Mass shooting, workplace violence |
| Weapons | AK-47 |
| Deaths | 6 (including the perpetrator)[1] |
| Injured | 5[1] |
| Perpetrator | Officer Anwar Abu Ubayd |
| Motive | Financial and psychological problems |
The attack took place on the tenth anniversary of Al-Qaeda in Iraq's 2005 Amman bombings.[2]
Investigations done by Jordanian officials found that the motive of the mass shooting was "financial and psychological problems of the perpetrator".[4] The mass shooting is an uncommon event in the secure country.[5]
Attack
The attack was on personnel at the United States funded Jordan International Police Training Centre (JIPTC), a facility that principally trains Palestinian and Iraqi police officers.[3][6] The facility is located in the Al-Muwaqqar district of the Amman Governorate, and is staffed by contractors from the United States and other countries.[3] On the same day, King Abdullah of Jordan paid a visit to the wounded lying in the King Hussein Medical Center.[7]
According to Jordanian Minister of the Interior Salameh Hammad, the investigation concluded that Abu Ubayd acted alone.[8]
Victims
Two Jordanians, one South African, and two U.S. nationals were killed in the attack. The wounded included a Lebanese police lieutenant, two U.S. contractors, and three Jordanian police officers.[9]
The two Jordanian translators who were killed were Kamal Malkawi and Awni Aqrabawi.[9] The Americans were James "Damon" Creach (42), from New Tampa, Florida, and Lloyd "Carl" Fields Jr. of Cape Coral, Florida.[10][8] They were employed by DynCorp International. The program they were working on is funded by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security and Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement.[11]
Perpetrator
The gunman was identified as 28-year-old police officer Anwar Mohammed Salama al-Saad Abu Zaid Bani Abdu, while Al-Rai newspaper, the government's official outlet, named the assailant as officer Anwar Abu Ubayd.[6] The perpetrator was with the Jordanian criminal investigation department before he was transferred to the police training academy.[2][12]
Source of weapons
The weapons were stolen from the CIA's Timber Sycamore program.[13]
Possible motive
On 14 November, the Jordanian government held a press conference to discuss the shooting. According to Minister of Interior Affairs Salameh Hammad, the officer was declared a lone wolf, and the motives of the officer were not related to any terrorist organizations but rather to the "financial and psychological problems of the perpetrator".[4]
