The Appeal Public Prosecutor in Mount Lebanon, Judge Sami Sader, charged the two detainees, Khaldoun Rahhal and Youssef Muhammad Al-Feel, against the backdrop of a dispute that occurred in the town of Daraya, which developed into a military pistol being brandished and a bullet being fired from it, hitting the elephant in the chest, in an incident that began with a fight on the road and ended with the injury of one of the parties to the dispute, the arrest of the two, the seizure of weapons, and the impoundment of the car and motorcycle.
The details of the case go back to July 25, 2026, when the platoon received a call from the Central Hospital in Mazboud stating that Youssef Muhammad Al-Feel, born in 2008, had been admitted to the emergency department following a gunshot wound to the chest.
Al-Feel reported that he was around two o’clock in the afternoon with his friends Khaled and Ahmed Al-Qassas when a dispute arose between him and a person riding a motorcycle, before an argument developed between them.
According to his testimony, the bike driver got off and assaulted him with his hand in the face, before grabbing the military pistol he was in possession of, a black Czech CZ pistol that belonged to his father, Muhammad al-Fil, and which he had taken from the house without his knowledge.
He explained that the bullet was fired by mistake during an attempt to pull out the weapon and hit him in the chest, declaring that he did not wish to file a claim against the other party. He also admitted that he was driving a BMW without a driving licence.
As for Ahmed Al-Qassas, he reported that after the altercation, the elephant pulled out the pistol he was carrying on his waist and loaded it, before the bike driver tried to snatch it from him. A tug occurred over the weapon while the elephant’s finger was on the trigger, and the bullet fired and hit his chest.
This story intersected with the testimony of the other companion, who confirmed that the elephant pulled out the gun during the dispute and loaded it before the altercation occurred, while he indicated that the bike driver took the gun after the elephant was injured and left the place.
In parallel, Khaldoun Rahal, born in 1993, surrendered himself to the Information Division, which later handed him over to the platoon along with the pistol, comb, and 14 usable bullets.
During his investigation, Rahal said that he was returning from work on his motorcycle when a dispute occurred on the road with the elephant, before the latter pulled a gun on him. He added that he grabbed the hand holding the weapon in an attempt to push it away and defend himself, and the bullet fired during the struggle and hit the elephant.
Rahal admitted that he took the gun after the incident and left the scene before surrendering himself. He also admitted that his motorcycle was not registered and that he did not have a motorcycle license.
A witness who was present at the scene gave an account that supported an essential aspect of these testimonies, as he said that he saw the elephant pointing a gun at Rahal from a close range, before the latter grabbed the weapon and tried to push him away, then the elephant’s hand turned with the gun towards his chest and the bullet was fired.
The witness confirmed that he did not see any physical conflict between the two parties before the weapon was displayed, which showed a discrepancy between the testimonies about the beginning of the problem, while the majority of the stories intersected with the fact that the gun was in the possession of the elephant and that there was a struggle over it before the shot was fired.
Muhammad Al-Fail, the father of the wounded man, later came to the platoon center, confirming that the gun belonged to him and that he kept it in his safe at home, but his son took it without his knowledge. He also presented a license to carry a weapon issued by the Ministry of National Defense and valid until December 31, 2026.
The Attorney General of Appeal in Mount Lebanon, Judge Ghassan Bassil, had followed the investigations from the first moments of the incident, and advised that both parties be arrested, the weapons and ammunition seized, the car and motorcycle seized, witnesses be heard, and a forensic doctor be assigned to examine the injured person.
The forensic doctor’s report concluded that the elephant’s injury required him to be out of work for six weeks.
After completing the investigations, Judge Sami Sader claimed Khaldoun Rahal and Youssef Muhammad Al-Fail, and referred them before the first investigating judge in Mount Lebanon, Nada Al-Asmar, to conduct the necessary investigations, who issued two arrest warrants against them.
