BEIRUT — The murder of a 26-year-old woman by her husband in the Choueifat area southeast of Beirut over the weekend sent shockwaves across the country and revived calls to end the rampant violence against women in Lebanon.

In the early hours of Saturday, Hasan Zaiter shot his wife, Zainab, in front of their three children — the oldest being 7. According to Sharika Wa Laken, a local feminist website, Hasan shot his wife in the face with around 10 bullets.

Several reports are circulating about a possible motive. Some claim that Hasan, who reportedly suffers from a neurological disorder, was receiving anonymous calls alleging that his wife was cheating. Other reports claim that he saw pictures online of his wife without a hijab. 

An online video showed the victim’s brother opening his brother-in-law’s cafe in a sign of goodwill. The brother is heard saying he is on good terms with his brother-in-law, who “washed off the shame” his sister caused the family. He said that if Hasan hadn’t killed Zainab, he would have done it himself in order to preserve the family’s honor.