A young woman shot in the head on Wednesday evening passed away at the hospital in Moto'otua on Friday night after fighting for her life for two days.

According to information gathered from family members, the 18-year-old passed away around 9.30 pm while on life support.

It is believed that doctors had advised the family that they should consider ‘pulling the plug’ on the life support machine around 7 pm but the family remained steadfast that they should not because the young woman had a normal heartbeat and her oxygen levels were proper.

However, around 9.30 pm, the young woman passed away. She is a resident of New Zealand and was in Samoa on a visit.

She was shot inside a car close to Levi Saleimoa in what police have described as an incident arising from a relationship argument.

Her shooter, a 32-year-old man drove home to Levi Saleimoa and shot himself around 6 pm on Wednesday. It is believed that there was a third individual who was present in the vehicle when the young woman was shot.

Around 7 pm on Wednesday, Deputy Police Commissioner Papalii Monalisa Tiai-Keti confirmed that police had received a report of the incident.

A woman who was in Levi Saleimoa around 6 pm on Wednesday to visit family members said she heard a gunshot coming from the neighbouring house.

She said it was later revealed that a man had shot himself. She said police were quick to the scene.

It is believed that the gun was a registered firearm. Police and emergency service workers removed the critically injured woman from inside the car belonging to the suspect.