Man suspected of shooting, killing 9-year-old daughter to remain in custody until Monday

The man suspected of shooting and killing his nine-year-old daughter yesterday in northern Israel will remain in custody until Monday, police announce.

Police believe the man shot and killed his daughter, Laila Jahjah, while aiming for his brother during a fight that spiraled out of control at a family gathering in the Arab town of Arara.

He was brought today to the Hadera Magistrate’s Court where police requested to keep him in custody for another 12 days as they continue to investigate the killing.

Judge Ehud Kaplan extended the suspect’s detention for five days only, saying there are “several indications” linking the suspect to the killing.

The suspect categorically denies the accusations against him and insists he did not so much as touch a gun over the course of the argument, his lawyer, Muhammad Masarwa, tells The Times of Israel.

“The father, a law-abiding man, denies all the suspicions against him. We hope that the police will finish the investigation soon so that the father can mourn his daughter,” Masarwa says, adding that his client has no prior criminal convictions.

During his remand hearing today, police informed the judge that they have still not managed to find the gun used to shoot the young girl.

Police claim that relatives of the victim attempted to destroy evidence of the shooting by washing the floors both inside and outside the house.

Police arrested six other relatives of the victim upon arriving at the house. The court ordered their unconditional release.