Woman shot dead in second murder in Lod in 48 hours

Police said a woman, 27, was sitting in her car on the city's Helen Keller street when she was shot and killed by unknown assailants.

By BEN HARTMAN
crime scene (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [illustrative])
crime scene
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski [illustrative])
A Lod resident was shot and killed late Monday night, the second person gunned down in the central Israel city in the past two days.
Police said the victim, a 27-year-old woman named Emil Halili, was sitting in her car on the city's Helen Keller street when she was shot and killed by unknown assailants. Paramedics rushed to the scene and found the woman unconscious and in critical condition, along with her wounded 8-year-old child sitting in the car beside her.
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Rescue personnel attempted to save the Halili's life, but were forced to pronounce her dead at the scene. Her daughter was taken to Asaf Harofeh hospital to be treated for injuries sustained from flying fragments of glass from the car windows dispersed by gunfire during the attack.
Following the first reports of gunfire, large numbers of police swarmed to the area to begin searching for the assailant, who has not been caught. Police stated they still do not know the motive behind the shooting.
On Sunday evening, a 41-year-old Lod resident was shot to death while sitting in his car early outside Lod's city hall on Hashmonaim Street. Police suspect that the motive for the shooting was criminal, but the victim, Sami Hijazi, has no known criminal record.
Shots rang out around 6 p.m. at a public square next to the municipality building fatally wounding Hijazi with a gunshot wound to the head while he was sitting in his car with his teenage daughter nearby
 
A Magen David Adom ambulance crew called to the scene of the shooting brought Hijazi to Asaf Harofeh Hospital where he was declared dead. Meanwhile, a large number of police officers spread out to investigate the crime scene and continue the search for the suspects tied to the shooting.
Located only about 15 km. southeast of Tel Aviv, Lod and its sister city Ramle have suffered from high levels of poverty, crime and drug abuse for years, and municipal leaders have launched numerous efforts to change the image and quality of both cities.