Story By: Lee Bullen, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

This is the moment a convict is accidentally shot in the head by his cousin during celebratory gunfire to mark his release from prison.

Sari Salem Wardat, 46, was reportedly shot dead on the day of his release in the northern Jordanian town of Amrawah, and the gunman has been identified as his distant cousin Ahmad Salamah Wardat.

In the footage, the victim is seen arriving outside a house in a blue car before the suspect joins him and starts shooting his gun in the air.

As they walk towards a house, the gunman appears to accidentally shoot Wardat in the head in front of a crowd of people.

According to local media, the father-of five had served eight months in prison for carrying an unlicensed weapon and resisting arrest.

He was reportedly released two weeks early in accordance with government measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Jordan.

As well as imposing a lockdown and banning all public gatherings last month, the government also ordered the early release of some convicts.

Reports said that Wardat was also a known drug dealer and trafficker.

Meanwhile, Wardat is a member of Jordanian Armed Forces and witnesses said he was using a seven-millimetre modified gun that frequently jammed, according to local media.

They added that he thought he had fired all the bullets but failed to realise the last bullet was jammed in the magazine.

Hassan Wardat, a distant relative of both men, said: “Immediately after the shooting, Awad, Sari’s brother, stood among the gathered crowd and said he forgave the shooter and his family for his brother’s blood.”

The affected families have reportedly struck an ‘atwa’, a tribal peace agreement, to prevent any future revenge attacks.

The police said that the suspect has been arrested and will probably be charged with murder.

The investigation continues.