Police solve murder of Kfar Kassem teen
Four Jaljulia residents aged 16-17 to be indicted for shooting at school bus, killing 15-year-old Amjad Shahavan. Teens allegedly opened fire at vehicle to avenge brawl which broke out on bus several days earlier
According to the police, the four youths – aged 16-17 – planned the shooting, which is believed to have been carried out in response to a case of shoving on a school bus.
The four allegedly opened fire at a bus collecting students from several schools in the Triangle area, located in the eastern Sharon region, while it was travelling on a side road connecting Jaljulia and Kfar Kassem. Shahavan was critically wounded, and another students sustained moderate injuries.
Bus after murder (Photo: Ofer Amram)
Most of the bus' windowpanes were shattered, and the driver continued driving until he reached a local clinic. Shahavana was then evacuated to the Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooters were said to have hid between olive trees alongside the path the bus was traveling on, after dropping students off in Tayibe, Jaljulia and Kfar Bara and making its way to Kfar Kassem.
Suspects held meeting, assigned roles
The investigation revealed that the suspects decided to act on their plan following a quarrel which broke out on the bus several days before the murder between youths from Kfar Kassem and youths from Jaljulia. They also sought to hurt students who they said had been flirting with girls from Jaljulia. Shavahana wasn't involved in any of these incidents.
According to suspicions, the suspects held a meeting and assigned roles, selecting a shooter, a driver and an observer.
According to Superintendent Tomer Cohen, the four implemented their plan with composure which does not usually characterize boys their age. After the murder, they hid in the shooting place and were not exposed.
"Despite the fact that this was an emotional act," said Superintendent Cohen, "their actions testify to composure and mental calm at the time. I am a veteran officer and I can't remember a similar incident in which boys their age carried out such an act after carefully planning it and even obtaining an automatic weapon, which is not easy to get hold of.
"They even learned how to operate it and made sure to hide it after the incident. This is undoubtedly a radical act… A normative person would not think about doing such a thing."
According to Cohen, the suspects carried out the incident with the aim of hurting as many Kfar Kassem students. "It was a miracle that this incident ended with only one person dead and one injured. Amjad's only sin was belonging to the group of teenagers from Kfar Kassem. They were planning to hurt the entire group from Kfar Kassem, not necessarily Amjad."
