An 18-year-old Ohio man is facing a murder charge after allegedly shooting his older brother during a violent confrontation inside their family home — a killing his attorney says was an attempt to protect their mother and other relatives.
Ameen Farraj, 18, was arrested Wednesday, Sept. 16, after North Olmsted police responded to a home on Lucydale Avenue shortly after 2:30 p.m.
His brother, 22-year-old Abdulla Farraj, had been shot once in the stomach and chest area, according to North Olmsted Police Lt. Matt Beck. Abdulla was rushed to a hospital but later died from his injuries.
But chilling 911 calls released after the shooting paint a more complicated picture of what allegedly happened inside the home.
Ameen told a dispatcher that his brother had been attacking their mother.
“My brother was trying to attack my mother,” he said during the call, according to News 5 Cleveland.
Another 911 call came from the brothers’ sister, who gave a similar account.
“My brother hit my mom, and he got shot,” she told the dispatcher before saying Ameen had been protecting her, their mother and a cousin.
Ameen also asked for medical help for his wounded brother and reportedly followed a dispatcher’s instructions to apply pressure to the gunshot wound until first responders arrived.
Police took Ameen into custody at the scene and recovered the firearm.
Their mother was also taken to the hospital after allegedly being struck in the side of the face during the confrontation. Beck said she was conscious and cooperative when officers arrived.
The case quickly moved into court.
Ameen appeared Thursday in Rocky River Municipal Court, where Magistrate Joseph Grandinetti set his bond at $1 million after prosecutors requested the high amount.
Defense attorney Issa Elkhatib urged the court to impose a much lower bond, telling the magistrate that Ameen had no criminal record and arguing that the shooting was a case of self-defense and defense of others.
Elkhatib said Ameen’s mother had recently left intensive care and alleged that she had suffered a possible brain bleed after the confrontation.
“This is a case strictly of self-defense,” Elkhatib told the court, according to News 5 Cleveland.
The defense has also alleged that Abdulla had a long history of violent behavior toward relatives. Court records cited by PEOPLE show Abdulla had previously been arrested multiple times on domestic violence charges beginning in 2023. Other reported arrests included theft, obstructing official business and criminal damage.
Those previous cases could become important as Ameen’s attorneys build a defense, although prior arrests by themselves do not establish what happened during the fatal confrontation on Sept. 16.
Ohio law also adds an important layer to the case.
Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2901.05, a person may use force in self-defense or in defense of another person. If evidence supporting such a defense is introduced at trial, prosecutors have the burden of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant did not act in lawful self-defense or defense of another.
Ohio also generally imposes no duty to retreat before using force when someone is lawfully present in a location, although whether deadly force was justified still depends on the circumstances surrounding the threat.
That means Ameen’s murder charge does not by itself settle the central question in the case — whether the shooting was a criminal killing or legally justified force used to protect his family.
That issue could ultimately become the heart of the prosecution and defense arguments if the case reaches trial.
Ameen remains accused of murder and is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Under Ohio law, a conviction for murder ordinarily carries a sentence of 15 years to life in prison and can include a fine of up to $15,000.
For now, investigators and prosecutors will continue reviewing the 911 recordings, witness accounts, physical evidence and events leading up to the shooting as the case moves through the court system.
