A Jordanian-American mother and son and a domestic worker were shot and killed in an attack by a neighbour in the US state of Nevada, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. The attacker fired at the woman, locally identified as Diana Hawatmeh, and an unnamed domestic worker, killing them, Jordanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates spokesman Daifullah Ali Alfayez said. The victim's son was taken hostage and killed in a shootout between the police and the suspect at the scene. Hawatmeh's daughter was injured in the attack. Residents reported hearing gunshots. "Officers arrived on scene to discover a 39 year-old female and a 33 year-old female deceased, and a 16 year-old female injured, all with apparent gunshot wounds," a police said in a statement. Hawatmeh's daughter is receiving medical treatment at a local hospital, the Jordanian Foreign Ministry statement said. According to police, the boy, 12, was taken hostage as the suspect locked himself in a vehicle. "As officers attempted a de-escalation dialogue with the suspect, the suspect held his firearm to the juvenile's head, resulting in an officer-involved shooting," the police said. Police began carrying out "live-saving measures" after extracting the child from the vehicle. "He succumbed to his injuries at the scene," police said. Police say they found evidence that the suspect fired multiple rounds inside the vehicle he held the victim hostage. The armed suspect was identified as 38 year-old Jason Neo Bourne, who died at the scene. The Jordanian-American family reportedly attended the Skaggs Catholic Centre. In a letter to its members, the centre identified the mother as Diana Hawatmeh, a substitute teacher at the Saint John the Baptist elementary and middle school. “It is with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of Diana Hawatmeh, and her son Joseph, a seventh-grader at Saint John the Baptist Middle School.” “Their daughter, Yasmeen, is in critical condition at a Las Vegas hospital. The Hawatmehs, a highly involved family at the Skaggs Catholic Center, are members of Saint John the Baptist Parish.” The Jordanian embassy in Washington is in touch with local authorities and the family’s next of kin to provide assistance, Mr Fayez said. The Centre held a prayer event for the Hawatmeh family on November 4.
