1 man shot dead, 1 wounded in Jerusalem’s German Colony; shooter at large
Second man stable after incident in residential neighborhood; police believe killing was premeditated hit, not terror; all involved said to be East Jerusalem Palestinians
One man was killed and a second wounded when they were shot at a building site in Jerusalem’s Germany Colony neighborhood on Sunday afternoon, in what police reportedly believe was a premeditated hit.
The fatality, aged 30, was said to be in critical condition when emergency services arrived on the scene. He was taken to the city’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center, where medics declared his death.
The hospital said that the second man, whose condition wasn’t specified, was conscious and in stable condition.
The two men were members of the same family, the Kan public broadcaster reported.
According to Hebrew-language reports, police believe the incident is not terror-related.
Channel 12 news said that although preliminary reports had indicated the shooting took place during a brawl involving workers at a construction site, an initial investigation suggested it was a premeditated hit.
The outlet said that police believed the gunman and any potential accomplices were not among those shot, and had fled the scene. The report said that all those involved were Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem.
A search was underway for the suspect and the weapon used in the shooting, as well as any other people involved in the incident.
According to the report, two armed men arrived at the construction site on Moshe Gaster Street, close to the neighborhood’s main Emek Refaim thoroughfare, with their faces obscured, and at least four shots were fired.
According to Channel 12, police see the incident as an escalation of the violence within the Arab community, with the shooting taking place in broad daylight in an upscale Jewish community in the west of the city.
Arab communities have seen a surge in violence in recent years, driven mainly by organized crime.
Leaders and community members blame police, who they say have failed to crack down on powerful criminal organizations and largely ignore the violence, which includes family feuds, mafia turf wars and violence against women.
