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Florida police arrested a 27-year-old Jewish man, Mordechai Brafman, on suspicion of attempted murder after he allegedly shot at two Israeli tourists, a father and son, whom he believed were Palestinian.
According to investigators, Brafman overtook the victims' car in Miami Beach, made a U-turn, exited his vehicle and fired 17 shots at them. Local authorities said there was no prior confrontation between Brafman and the victims, who did not know each other.
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Footage of the attack in Florida
The shooting occurred Saturday at 9:30 p.m. local time (early Sunday in Israel). CCTV footage from a nearby apartment building showed the two Israelis fleeing from their car, with one appearing to have bloodstains on his shirt. Police said one victim was shot in the left shoulder, while the other sustained a graze wound on his arm.
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Brafman allegedly drove home after the shooting and was arrested shortly after. He has been charged with attempted murder. While police have not officially determined a motive, an arrest affidavit stated: “It should be noted that, while in custody in our interview room, the defendant spontaneously stated that while he was driving his truck, he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both.” Authorities added that Brafman told investigators he believed he had killed the men.
Brafman, a plumber, was previously interviewed by Florida media in 2023 after vandals targeted a Miami Beach bagel shop displaying an Israeli flag. “It’s just horrifying,” he said at the time. “I’d like to see more unity, for people to fight less with each other and be more together.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called on U.S. federal authorities to charge Brafman with a hate crime, citing what it described as an “anti-Palestinian motive.”