This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/06/world/middleeast/american-kills-worker-at-israeli-hotel-then-is-shot-by-police.html

The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
American Kills Worker at Israeli Hotel, Then Is Shot by Police American Kills Worker at Israeli Hotel, Then Is Shot by Police
(about 2 hours later)
JERUSALEM — An American opened fire in the dining room of a hotel in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat on Friday and killed a kitchen worker before being shot dead by police officers, the authorities said.JERUSALEM — An American opened fire in the dining room of a hotel in the southern Israeli resort of Eilat on Friday and killed a kitchen worker before being shot dead by police officers, the authorities said.
Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, did not identify the gunman, but described him as a tourist who “might have worked” at the hotel, the Leonardo Club. Eitan Gedasi, deputy police commander of Eilat, told Israel Radio that a call came in at about 9 a.m. of a shooting at the hotel, the Leonardo Club, after the man grabbed a pistol from a hotel security guard.
Mr. Rosenfeld said the man grabbed a pistol from a hotel security guard around 9:30 a.m. and fired several shots in the crowded dining area before storming into the kitchen, where he killed the worker, who also was not identified by the authorities. “The man surprised the security guard and threw him on the ground,” Mr. Gedasi said. “A civilian  who saw this tried to help, but the man managed to get away with the weapon towards the kitchen.”
Micky Rosenfeld, an Israeli police spokesman, said the man, who was not identified by name, fired several shots in the crowded dining area before storming into the kitchen, where he killed the worker, who also was not identified by the authorities.
The gunman then “barricaded himself in the kitchen,” inspiring police fears of a hostage situation. About 10:15 a.m., antiterror police units “moved in on the suspect and he opened fire again,” Mr. Rosenfeld said.The gunman then “barricaded himself in the kitchen,” inspiring police fears of a hostage situation. About 10:15 a.m., antiterror police units “moved in on the suspect and he opened fire again,” Mr. Rosenfeld said.
It turned out that no hostages had been taken and no one else was injured in the incident, Mr. Rosenfeld said, making it seem more like a workplace dispute than a terrorist attack. The circumstances of the situation and the gunman’s background are still being investigated. It turned out that no hostages had been taken and no one else was injured in the episode, Mr. Rosenfeld said, making it seem more like a workplace dispute than a terrorist attack, but the circumstances were still being investigated.
Mr. Rosenfeld said he did not know where in the United States the gunman was from or how long he had been in Israel and for what reasons. The police officials said the man was from New York State and was in Israel on a program called Oranim, which includes internships at hotels.
The shooting occurred during the holiday of Sukkot, when Israeli schools and many offices are closed. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Eilat and the hotel was fully booked. Mr. Rosenfeld said he did not know how long the attacker had been in Israel. The shooting occurred during the holiday of Sukkot, when Israeli schools and many offices are closed. It is one of the busiest weeks of the year in Eilat and the hotel was fully booked.
The Leonardo is a stucco, three-story hotel with 282 rooms that caters to families, with all-inclusive packages and extensive programs for children.
“I saw a crowd of people and security guards yelling, ‘There is a shooter!’ ” Meil Gilad, a guest at the hotel, said on Israel Radio. “Suddenly I saw a man with a baseball hat run towards the kitchen, and then I heard one shot fired.”