Indonesian Faces Up to 15 Years in Prison for Shooting Moroccan at Bali Nightclub

Marrakech – A 25-year-old Moroccan national identified by the initials E.A. was shot and wounded at a nightclub in Canggu, on the Indonesian island of Bali, in an incident that police have traced to an intoxicated Indonesian gunman who tried to flee the country a day later.

The shooting occurred on Friday, July 17, at around 2:50 a.m. local time at an entertainment venue on Jalan Pantai Berawa in Kuta Utara district, Badung regency, according to Badung Police.

The Moroccan sustained a gunshot wound above his right knee. A 32-year-old venue security guard identified as I.M.Y.M. was hit in the left thigh, with the bullet passing through his leg.

Investigators traced the sequence to roughly 2:10 a.m., when the suspect, a 49-year-old Indonesian identified as H.S.H. and a resident of Cipete in South Jakarta, quarreled with another patron, initialed A.D., beside the DJ booth at a sofa table. The security guard moved in to separate the two, with the Moroccan standing directly behind him to help defuse the situation.

During that intervention, the guard was shoved from behind and fell about one meter in front of the suspect. The Moroccan remained immediately behind him. The suspect then drew a firearm and fired a single round, which struck the guard’s left thigh before hitting the Moroccan’s leg. A separate witness was cut on the back of the head by broken glass during the altercation.

‘Rage while under the influence of alcohol’

Both wounded men received initial treatment at a nearby clinic before being transferred to Lira Medika Hospital for intensive care.

Badung Police Chief AKBP Joseph Edward Purba, addressing reporters at a press conference on Monday, July 20, attributed the shooting to the suspect’s state at the time. “The suspect’s motive was rage while under the influence of alcohol,” he told journalists. A urine test returned positive results for THC, MDMA, and amphetamine.

The suspect left Bali for Jakarta on Friday afternoon and concealed the weapon at his residence. Acting on a police report filed the day of the shooting, Badung investigators worked with Bali and Jakarta regional police, airport police, and immigration officers at both Ngurah Rai and Soekarno-Hatta.

He was arrested at Soekarno-Hatta Airport shortly after midnight on Saturday, July 18, as he prepared to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur.

Officers seized a Glock pistol bearing the serial number BATV-955, a metal object believed to be a projectile, 12 rounds of 7.65 mm ammunition, a holster, three 9 mm magazines with a 17-round capacity, one 9 mm magazine with a 31-round capacity, and a flash drive containing surveillance footage from the venue.

Purba framed the arrest as a matter of public safety. “We do not give room to anyone who commits a criminal act, much less using a firearm that can endanger public safety,” he told the press conference.

The suspect faces charges under Article 306 of Indonesia’s criminal code, covering unlawful possession and use of firearms and ammunition, which carries up to 15 years in prison.

He is also charged under Article 466 (2) for assault causing serious injury, punishable by up to five years. He was declared medically fit and remains in detention while investigators work to complete the case file.