AMMAN, Jordan A criminal court on Monday sentenced to death a 19-year-old Jordanian convicted of murdering 11 members of his family and a friend who had all harassed him about his failures in school. Judge Mohammed Ajamieh rejected a plea of mercy from Saeed Qashash, who sat passively in the courtroom. As is customary, the sentence was announced on the same day as the verdict, guilty on 12 counts of premeditated murder.

Qashash reportedly confessed to police that he shot his father, mother, two brothers, four sisters and the husband and two children of one sister, as well as a 19-year-old schoolmate, all on last June 10. According to the charges, the defendant who had failed his secondary school exam lured the victims one by one to a basement and shot each of them while they had their backs to him.

He then sealed the basement with bricks and cement. (AP)