By :Rezvan Moghaddam

On the afternoon of July 2, 2023, a horrific act of domestic violence unfolded in a
neighborhood of Ilam, where a man shot and killed his wife and her sister using a
handgun. Another member of the family, in critical condition, was transferred to the
hospital.
According to police investigations and eyewitness reports, the perpetrator, who was the
husband of one of the victims and brother-in-law of the other, turned the gun on himself
and died by suicide after the attack. Local sources report that in addition to his wife and
her sister, the man also targeted his mother-in-law, two children, and brother-in-law. The
final condition of the injured victims has not yet been disclosed. Neither official nor local
media have released the names of the perpetrator or the victims.
As in many similar cases, media and authorities have described the incident using the
vague and repetitive term “domestic dispute,” a phrase that often avoids deeper
structural analysis and frames such violence as isolated and personal. However,
tragedies like this are rooted in broader societal crises: gender inequality, lack of
education in emotional and conflict resolution skills, a weak mental health system,
patriarchal notions of ownership over women, and dangerously easy access to firearms.
In this case, unregulated access to a handgun enabled a man overwhelmed by rage to
commit mass killing. This raises a critical question: how does an ordinary citizen in a
residential area acquire a firearm? The lack of legal oversight on firearm possession
turns personal crises into lethal events.
The perpetrator’s subsequent suicide suggests a psychological breakdown, unresolved
trauma, and a sense of hopelessness. This further highlights the urgent need to expand
mental health services and develop effective community prevention mechanisms.
Unfortunately, such acts of violence continue in an atmosphere of social silence and
institutional neglect.
This deeply disturbing incident, far from being the first, should serve as a wake-up call
about the disintegration of family structures, the absence of communication skills
training, the prevalence of domestic violence, and the lack of gun control. If society
seeks to prevent the repetition of such tragedies, a serious reevaluation of criminal
justice policy, psycho-social family support, and public education on domestic violence
and anger management is essential.

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#WomenHaveTheRightToLive

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#IslamicRepublicIsResponsibleForWomensMurders

#NoToControlOfWomensBodies3NoToMisogynisticCulture

#PatriarchyKills

#IranWithoutViolence

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