Israeli police arrested three suspects in connection with a shooting which left two dead and dozens injuried at a Tel-Aviv gay youth center shooting in 2009
Israeli police have arrested three suspects in connection with a shooting at Tel-Aviv’s gay youth center in 2009.
The three suspects who were arrested today (5 June) will appear in court tomorrow for a remand hearing.
The suspects are reported to be Israeli Jews, residents of Tel-Aviv’s suburb of Pardes Katz, their ages range from 20 to 40.
Four years ago on 1 August 2009, 26 year-old Nir Katz, and 16 year-old Liz Trubeshi, were shot dead when a veiled man entered the Barnoar gay youth center in Tel Aviv and began shooting at the teens attending a meeting.
15 attendants were injured, most of them teens, while six of those were in serious condition.
Sources in the Tel Aviv District Police said the investigation is far from over but ruled out nationalistic motives, reported the daily Yediot Aharonot.
‘This was a cold blooded murderer who did not flinch,’ said one police source close to the investigation.
Details of the shooting and the investigation are still under a gag order.
Investigators of the murder initially thought that Jacob Teitel, who was arrested for under suspicion of involvement in a series of hate crimes, might have been the shooter.
Teitel confessed to his involvement but Israeli police later concluded he was not the shooter but was protecting the murderer.
Chen Lenger, who was injured in the 2009 shooting, said the police updated the families of the victims and the wounded about the arrests of three suspects in the incident several minutes before the releasing a statement to the press.
‘It will definitely not bring comfort to the dead, wounded and the families,’ he said and added: ‘But I hope it will bring closure and calm the difficult feelings before Tel Aviv Gay Pride [scheduled for 7 June].’
Israel’s main LGBT organization, the Aguda, stated on its Facebook page: ‘We are in direct contact with the police and receiving updates.
‘We trust that the police will act to solve the murder and bring the murderer to face justice.’
Israel’s government has so far not provided the victims and their families with support to treat their injuries and psychological traumas, as there is no law that decrees state funding for vicitms of hate crimes.
The Aguda has, instead, been helping with support and recently advanced a draft bill in the Israeli parliament (Knesset) for the state to provide such funding.
by Dan Littauer
Source – Gay Star News
