Shooting victim's body removed from scene
Photo: Dudi Vaaknin
Jerusalem attack: Arab victim's family infuriated by 'injustice'
Relatives of Arab man shot to death by a Jew in Jerusalem Tuesday upset after police say shooting apparently not a terror attack; 'when one of us kills a Jew, they immediately say he's a terrorist,' victim's relative says
The family of an Arab man shot to death by a Jew believed to be mentally unstable is infuriated that the shooter is not being dubbed a terrorist.
Dazanshvili will undergo a psychiatric evaluation and police believe his attack was not nationalistically motivated, as the two Jews he fired at were wearing kippas and were not likely to be mistaken for Arabs. However, abu-Khader's relatives are upset over the probe's initial conclusions.
Yoel Almagor Dazanshvili, 48, has confessed to killing Amjad abu-Khader, 33 from Shuafat early Tuesday, before heading to Jerusalem's Old City to pray and returning to his home. Later, the shooter fired at two Jews, wounding one of them seriously.
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"When one of us kills a Jew, they immediately say he's a terrorist," says abu-Khader's cousin, Salomon abu-Gadir. "This is an injustice." Another relative, Mai abu-Khader, was also upset: "They said the murderer is crazy. Of course I'm angry; so what if he's crazy?" she told Ynet.
Abu-Khader's family is now worried about the fate of his four children, aged six to 13.
"He worked at a hotel and at a restaurant; simple jobs to take care of his family," abu-Gadir added. "Who will care for the children now? Who will feed them? Who will serve as their father?
Shooter a security guard
Abu-Khader's body was not discovered for long hours because it was hidden in the grass below Jerusalem's Tsahal Square. Police officials said that investigators were therefore only alerted after the second shooting attack.
Dazanshvili taken to court (Photo: Dudi Vaaknin)
Dazanshvili, who was employed as a security guard, has no criminal record and he has been licensed to carry arms since 1988.
The suspect was detained by police Tuesday morning and told investigators that he shot the first victim after the latter approached him while he was meditating. Dazanshvili said he was afraid that the man was going to attack him.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the story
