Argument spurs man to shoot spouse, himself

JAKARTA (JP): A man shot his wife five times in the midst of a passionate argument early Friday morning, and later shot himself in the heart when he thought she had died, a North Jakarta police officer said.

The police officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said on Friday that Haryanto, 42, a businessman, died of the shot to his heart at around 2 p.m. on Friday at the Pantai Indah Kapuk hospital, also in North Jakarta.

"Both Haryanto and his wife, Elyana Susanti, 28, were immediately rushed to the hospital at about 2:40 a.m. on Friday. Elyana is still in a critical condition," the officer told reporters at the North Jakarta police precinct.

Nurses at the hospital said Elyana gained consciousness at about 2:30 p.m., but was under observation.

"She cannot speak. She is in no condition to be seen," a nurse, who refused to elaborate on the details of the lady, said.

The police officer said Haryanto told the police after briefly recovering consciousness that both Haryanto and his wife had been having a serious fight over his wife's "extraordinary demands."

"Elyana, 28, is the second wife of Haryanto. She asked her husband for more freedom. Haryanto confessed that he was possessive. They got in a really big argument on Thursday night," the officer said.

The argument at the couple's residence on Jl. Elang Laut V at Pantai Indah Kapuk residential complex escalated to verbal abuse and then to the use of a firearm.

"Haryanto took out his FN gun. He shot Elyana in her thigh, her leg, her palm, and the left side and the right side of her chest. But, he missed her heart," the officer said.

"When she fainted, Haryanto automatically assumed she had died. So, he shot himself in the heart."

The maid of the house, who had been hiding in her room during the argument, got out and called the couple's relatives. The relatives then called the police.

"Police arrived at the couple's residence and rushed both husband and wife to the hospital. We found the shells of three FN-bullets at the couple's residence."

"All this for freedom. The woman got her freedom now. Her husband will never bother her again," the officer said.

Relatives of Elyana who were richly dressed, refused to talk to reporters. (ylt)