Killer’s cousin said killed by police in 2006 weapons raid

Channel 2 reports on what it says is a relevant incident in the killer’s past.

It says that a decade ago, in 2006, his cousin was killed by an Israeli policeman.

The cousin had been storing weapons for an intended terror attack, police believed, and approval was given for a raid on the cousin’s home.

The cousin was indeed found to have weaponry and, in the course of the raid, brandished a gun. A policeman, believing himself to be threatened, fired on the cousin and killed him.

The police internal investigation’s department probed the killing, and brought a manslaughter case against the policeman. But the case was shoddily prepared, the TV report said, and was dismissed by Haifa District Court.

In a subsequent incident, today’s Tel Aviv killer tried to grab a gun from a soldier, in order to avenge the death of his cousin by killing Israelis. He was jailed for a five-year term, the TV report said, noting it was not clear how long he served.

The killer, who cannot be named as of this writing, was identified by his father, who saw his face on security camera footage of today’s attack. A relative and his former lawyer, Sami Milhem, claimed earlier today that the killer was “not of sound mind.”

The father is said to be a police volunteer, and a security guard.

The family condemned today’s attack, Channel 2 also said.

The killer is still on the run.