A young Arab man was shot and killed on Wednesday night while trying to buy an air rifle in Jaffa from a 22-year-old resident of Hod Hasharon.
The shooter was arrested, and investigators discovered that the seller had refused to sell the air rifle to the young man because he was Arab. A fight subsequently broke out, at which point the victim's friends arrived at the scene and attempted to steal the air rifle. The 22-year-old then drew his own gun, for which he holds a license, and killed the prospective buyer.
According to the shooter, he was acting in self-defense and had attempted to shoot into the air. An indictment was filed against him on Thursday morning and he was released to house arrest. Judge Ala Masarwa wrote in his decision:
"The suspect is cooperating fully with the investigation and has claimed self-defense. At this stage, no evidence has come to light contradicting his claim. This is a young man who came out of an elite IDF unit, holds a gun license and works as a security guard; he is a completely normal person."
Shooting in Rahat
Earlier on Wednesday, two men in Rahat were shot - one was killed and the other is in moderate condition. The medical team who arrived on the scene provided emergency care and evacuated the victims to Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. It was there, after a few hours, that doctors confirmed the death of one of the victims.
Two individuals suspected of involvement in the shooting were arrested on Wednesday evening. Preliminary investigations revealed that the shooting was the result of a familial dispute. Specifically, the police are investigating the possibility that the conflict was between two brothers. According to the victim in moderate condition, Amir Sami Ziadne - the other victim- was murdered by his own brother.