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Tel Aviv Shooting Leaves 2 Dead and 7 Wounded Tel Aviv Shooting Leaves 2 Dead and 7 Wounded
(about 1 hour later)
TEL AVIV — A gunman opened fire on shops in the center of Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, killing two people and wounding at least seven others. The assault unleashed mayhem among Israelis who had been out on Dizengoff Street, one of the city’s major commercial arteries, and it led to an intense manhunt by the authorities. TEL AVIV — A gunman opened fire on a popular bar and other shops in the center of Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon, killing two people and wounding at least seven others. The assault created mayhem along busy Dizengoff Street, and led to an intense manhunt by the authorities.
The gunman’s motivations were not immediately clear, though Israeli news media reported that a Quran had been found in a bag he had left in a grocery store before beginning his rampage. The attacker, who in video footage appeared to be dressed in black and wearing glasses, opened fire on a cafe, a sushi restaurant and what seemed to be his main target, the Simta pub, whose manager was killed, Israeli news media reported.
The gunman was still at large Friday night, several hours after the midafternoon shooting. The motive of the gunman, who was still at large on Friday night, was not immediately clear. Israeli news media reported that a Quran had been found in a bag he had left in a grocery store before beginning his rampage.
The attacker, who in video footage appeared to be dressed in black and wearing glasses, opened fire on businesses that included a pub, a cafe and a sushi restaurant — but his main target appeared to be the pub, the Simta, whose manager was killed, Israeli news media reported. “When I walked out, I saw the mess: a person lying on the road, full of blood, and the other store near the pub destroyed, with all its windows blown out,” said Haim Pinto, 40, the owner of a nearby jewelry store.
“I heard something like 10 shots,” a man who gave his name only as Avi told Ynet, an Israeli news website. “I was next to one of the cafes. I saw people running in the street and wounded sprawled on the street.” He said he had rushed to hide in the bathroom of his store after a woman ran toward him, screaming: “There’s a terrorist. Run.”
Israeli security forces rushed into nearby streets searching for the gunman. One police officer, an assault rifle hanging from her shoulder, leapt onto a man’s bicycle — shouting, “Get out of the way!” — to navigate the crowded streets, according to Ben Hartman, a reporter for The Jerusalem Post who lives nearby and rushed to the scene.
Dozens of people gathered as plainclothes security officers, riot police officers and intelligence agents cordoned off and canvassed the area, which was strewn with shards of glass. Several of the officers presented business owners with court orders allowing them to seize security-camera footage.
Several stunned witnesses tried to comfort one another.
The wounded were taken to hospitals in Tel Aviv, Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the Israeli police, said on Twitter; the Israeli news media said that at least two of the wounded were in serious condition. The police, including counterterrorism units, were concentrating their search in the center of the city and were examining video-surveillance footage, Mr. Rosenfeld said.
Israel has experienced a surge in Palestinian violence recently that has included stabbings, shootings and vehicular attacks, but the coastal city of Tel Aviv has been mostly untouched. It was unclear whether the shooter on Friday was Palestinian.Israel has experienced a surge in Palestinian violence recently that has included stabbings, shootings and vehicular attacks, but the coastal city of Tel Aviv has been mostly untouched. It was unclear whether the shooter on Friday was Palestinian.
Israeli security forces rushed into nearby streets searching for the gunman. One police officer, an assault rifle hanging from her shoulder, leapt onto a man’s bicycle — shouting, “Get out of the way!” — to navigate the crowded streets, according to Ben Hartman, a reporter for The Jerusalem Post who lives nearby.
Dozens of people gathered as plainclothes security officers, riot police officers and intelligence agents cordoned off and canvassed the area, which was strewn with shards of glass. Several of the officers presented business owners with court orders to allow them to seize security-camera footage.
The wounded were taken to hospitals in Tel Aviv, Micky Rosenfeld, a spokesman for the Israeli police, said on Twitter; the Israeli news media said that at least two of the wounded were in serious condition. The police, including counterterrorism units, were concentrating their search in the center of the city and were examining video-surveillance footage, Mr. Rosenfeld said.
The gunman’s approach was similar to the “behavior of recent ISIS attackers,” Daniel Nisman, the president of the Levantine Group, a geopolitical risk consultancy, said on Twitter, referring to the Islamic State.The gunman’s approach was similar to the “behavior of recent ISIS attackers,” Daniel Nisman, the president of the Levantine Group, a geopolitical risk consultancy, said on Twitter, referring to the Islamic State.
“Something is very weird here,” Mr. Nisman said in a telephone interview. “It is not a classic Palestinian terror attack,” he said, in which a gunman keeps firing until he is shot by the police.“Something is very weird here,” Mr. Nisman said in a telephone interview. “It is not a classic Palestinian terror attack,” he said, in which a gunman keeps firing until he is shot by the police.
Security footage broadcast on Israeli media shared on social media appeared to show that the gunman had first stopped in a grocery store, where he picked up and examined a bag of nuts. He appeared to have placed a bag or a backpack on a shopping cart, removed his gun, loaded it, stepped outside the store and then opened fire from the sidewalk. Security footage broadcast on Israeli media that was shared on social media appeared to show that the gunman had first stopped in a grocery store, where he picked up and examined a bag of nuts. He appeared to have placed a bag or a backpack on a shopping cart, removed his gun, loaded it, stepped outside the store and then opened fire from the sidewalk.
Mr. Nisman and other Israeli security experts said the weapon seen in the video footage appeared to resemble a Swedish-made submachine gun.Mr. Nisman and other Israeli security experts said the weapon seen in the video footage appeared to resemble a Swedish-made submachine gun.
In another video, which was also circulated online, patrons at the bar fled in panic as the gunman appeared.In another video, which was also circulated online, patrons at the bar fled in panic as the gunman appeared.
The attacker appears to have initially fired single rounds, before unleashing automatic fire, Israel’s Channel 2 news station reported. He replaced the magazine of his firearm at least once during the attack.The attacker appears to have initially fired single rounds, before unleashing automatic fire, Israel’s Channel 2 news station reported. He replaced the magazine of his firearm at least once during the attack.
“We realized within a second that it was a shooting,” said Assaf Ben Ezra, 40, the owner of a restaurant called the Meatpack, which is across the street from the Simta pub.“We realized within a second that it was a shooting,” said Assaf Ben Ezra, 40, the owner of a restaurant called the Meatpack, which is across the street from the Simta pub.
Mr. Ben Ezra opened the back door of his restaurant so that fleeing customers could move away from the street. He later emerged to see one of the victims lying on the ground, bleeding.Mr. Ben Ezra opened the back door of his restaurant so that fleeing customers could move away from the street. He later emerged to see one of the victims lying on the ground, bleeding.
“I ran to help,” Mr. Ben Ezra said. “He was able to ask us, ‘Where is my dog?’ ”“I ran to help,” Mr. Ben Ezra said. “He was able to ask us, ‘Where is my dog?’ ”
Another resident, Haim Pinto, 40, the owner of a nearby jewelry store, said a woman ran toward him screaming: “There’s a terrorist. Run!” Mr. Pinto hid in his store’s bathroom and emerged after the shooting stopped.
“When I walked out, I saw the mess: a person lying on the road, full of blood, and the other store near the pub destroyed, with all its windows blown out,” he said.