Acre’s mayor shot, in stable condition

Shimon Lankri, the mayor of the city of Acre in northern Israel, was shot late Thursday night near the Kafr Yasif junction.

Lankri was shot in the chest while he was alone in his car.

He called rescue services and was whisked by ambulance to hospital in Nahariya in serious but stable condition.

Police were searching for the perpetrator, but as of Friday morning, the identity and motive of the shooter were unknown.

In August of 2012, police recommended that a guard detail be assigned to Lankri due to threats over his decision to close a horse farm.

More recently, a man was arrested after intelligence garnered by police indicated that he intended to attack Lankri with a grenade. The man was questioned and later released, and there was no indication of a connection with Thursday’s shooting.

Lankri, a former career officer, was first elected mayor of Acre in 2003.

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