Bride shot in head, killed at wedding as tradition goes wrong

A young bride, 24, has tragically died at her reception after a local wedding tradition went horrifically wrong.

A bride has been killed at her own wedding when a controversial tradition went horribly wrong.

Mahvash Leghaei, 24, was toasting her marriage following the July 12 ceremony in Iran when a guest began shooting a “high-powered hunting rifle” as an act of celebration.

However things went horribly wrong when a stray bullet pierced the bride’s skull before injuring two male attendees.

Mahvash, a recent psychology graduate, was rushed to hospital where she later died.

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Mahvash Leghaei, 24, (left) was killed by a stray bullet at her wedding in Firuzabad, Iran. Picture: Newsflash/Australscope

Firing a gun at weddings in the Middle East is common, though it is reportedly illegal.

While traditionally it was a job left to skilled people, in recent years aerial firings have been increasingly performed by unskilled guests, leading to a string of tragic incidents.

The shooter has been identified as a 36-year-old man who, according to local reports, was a cousin of the groom.

The shooter – who police said had “poor control of the weapon” – then fled the scene before being tracked down by police.

She was rushed to hospital where she later died. Picture: Newsflash/Australscope

“We had an emergency call of a shooting at a wedding hall in Firuzabad city and officers were dispatched immediately,” police spokesman Colonel Mehdi Jokar said.

“The officers discovered that somebody had fired shots with a hunting rifle as part of the local nomad tradition, but unfortunately because of the crowds and the person’s poor control of the weapon, he managed to shoot three people – two men and the bride.

“The shooter then fled the area but police located the man still carrying the unlicensed hunting rifle that had been fired at the wedding.”

Firing guns is a controversial wedding tradition in the Middle East. Picture: Newsflash/Australscope

Colonel Mehdi Jokar added: “Naturally any disturbance of public order like this crosses the red line with the police need[ing] to act. And people need to know that to create a safe community, shooting is banned at weddings.

“We will take tough action against anybody found to be breaking this rule.”

Mahvash’s uncle said she had been working as a social worker helping drug addicts to recover.