Father mourns ‘very special’ son killed in Tel Aviv shooting

The father of one of the victims of Friday’s shooting attack in Tel Aviv has paid tribute to his “very special” son, and warned that the ongoing violence is costing the lives of the young generation of Israelis.

Alon Bakal, 26, was one of two people killed when an assailant sprayed automatic gunfire on a busy street in the center of the city shortly before 3 p.m. on Friday. Bakal was the manager of the Simta bar, one of the locations hit by the gunman.

The second victim was later named as 30-year-old Shimon Ruimi, a resident of the southern town of Ofakim, who was killed as he joined friends for a birthday celebration at Simta.

A friend, who was wounded in the attack, said that he saw Ruimi fall to the floor bleeding as he was shot.

“We are losing our good kids,” Bakal’s father said from Ichilov Hospital, Walla reported.

“[Alon] studied law and business management, he was a thriving and happy child. He lit up every place he went, he made everyone laugh,” his father said. “Have no doubt, he was a very special child. He was very special to us. Yesterday he sent me a message: ‘I am having fun, I love to live.'”

 

Charlie Alfasi, a family friend of Ruimi, said that he had traveled to Tel Aviv for the weekend with Yisrael Avitan, who was wounded, in order to celebrate a friend’s birthday, the Ynet website reported.

“They were supposed to stay with us Friday-Saturday, and we went down to the pub. Immediately after the waiter brought them their drinks, the terrorist started shooting at them. Shimon was killed and they were wounded,” Alfasi said.

Avitan told Ynet from his hospital bed that he and Ruimi had been outside when the gunman opened fire.

“I sat inside and two friends went to the bathroom, and the friend who I just heard was killed [Ruimi] went outside to smoke. I didn’t want to sit there alone [so] I sat with him. I heard gunfire and felt something burning in my back. I fell… I crawled into the pub and all the chairs were overturned. We gathered everyone up and went into the kitchen. My brother called Magen David Adom [ambulance service].”

The mayor of Ofakim, Itzik Danino, said Friday evening that the entire town was in shock over Ruimi’s murder.

“Our hearts are with the family and we will support them every step of the way,” Danino said. “We are keeping our fingers crossed for the recovery of the wounded.”

Eyewitnesses described how the black-clad gunman fired “salvoes” of indiscriminate gunfire, and how he “appeared in the doorway, smiling, and opened fire.”

The shooting comes amid more than three months of almost daily Palestinian attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers. At least 25 Israelis have died, mostly in stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks. More than 130 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire, most while carrying out attacks or attempted attacks, and others during violent clashes with security forces.