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Witness Confirms Dipendra Shot Royal Family
A witness said Thursday that Dipendra, former crown prince of Nepal, shot almost all the Nepali royal family dead on the night of June 1.
Rajiv Shahi, who said he was present in the royal palace gathering when the shooting took place, told reporters at a press conference here that Dipendra, wild with drunkenness, shot his father King Birendra and Queen Aishwarya and other members of the royal family present.
"I am not sure what motivated him to do this, but it was the crown prince Dipendra who committed these murders," said Rajiv Shahi, who is the son-in-law of slain King Birendra's youngest brother and survived the carnage unhurt.
Dipendra, wearing a battle-dress uniform and wielding several weapons, including an M-16 assault rifle, lurched into a family gathering in the main L-shaped drawing room of the palace, Shahi said.
Shahi said he first heard a loud burst of gunfire around 9:00 p. m. local time and then people screaming that king was shot.
The crown prince then went into the garden, but swiftly returned and resumed his shooting, he said.
After the shooting spree was over, Dipendra "shot himself." He died of his injuries on Monday.
Shahi did not comment on widespread reports that the massacre was sparked by a furious quarrel between Dipendra and his mother over his choice of bride.
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