Newly released security camera footage captured the moments before a lawyer was fatally shot inside his office in the central city of Rishon Lezion, as police continued investigating whether the killing was premeditated or escalated from a financial dispute.
The surveillance video, published Tuesday evening, shows the suspect calmly entering the lobby of the office building before walking toward the lawyer's office shortly before the shooting.
Security camera footage shows the suspect entering an office building in Rishon Lezion moments before prosecutors say he fatally shot a lawyer during a meeting allegedly linked to a financial dispute
The suspect, a 23-year-old resident of the central city of Ramla, is scheduled to appear in court Wednesday for a hearing on extending his detention.
The shooting occurred Tuesday afternoon in an office building on Rozhansky Street in Rishon Lezion. After fleeing the scene, the suspect later surrendered to police at a station in the southern city of Ashdod.
The victim was found by his law partner, who alerted emergency responders. Paramedics pronounced the lawyer dead at the scene.
Police said the suspect and the victim knew each other and that the confrontation stemmed from a financial dispute. Investigators are still trying to determine whether the shooting was planned in advance or whether the suspect drew a handgun during an argument and fired several shots at close range.
Authorities said the suspect did not have a license to carry a firearm.
According to information obtained by ynet, the dispute centered on the suspect's claim that he had not received compensation of 15,000 shekels (about $5,000) from a personal injury settlement. The lawyer had reportedly maintained that the compensation had already been transferred to the suspect's father.
Gallery
Left: A surveillance camera captures the suspect entering the office building before the fatal shooting. Right: Emergency responders and police gather outside the office building in Rishon Lezion where the lawyer was killed
(Photo: Moti Kimchi)
The suspect's attorney, Oren Sasson, said he intends to ask the court to order a psychiatric evaluation for his client.
The victim's law partner told investigators he initially heard only a brief conversation between the two men before realizing shots had been fired.
"I heard them talking, not shouting, just a very short conversation," he said. "Then I heard small popping sounds. At first I didn't realize they were gunshots. After that I heard a volley of shots, and then I saw him walking quickly out of the office."
He said he found his colleague lying beneath his desk in a pool of blood before immediately calling police and emergency medical services.
Describing the victim, the partner said he was "an amazing person, humble, pure-hearted and gentle," adding that he had been planning to travel abroad with his wife and children the following week.
"I was sure it was a case of mistaken identity," he said. "He had mentioned that a client was bothering him, nothing more than that. We are all in shock."
Police escort the 23-year-old suspect after he surrendered following the fatal shooting of a lawyer in an office building in Rishon Lezion
(Photo: Israel Police)
Amit Becher, head of the Israel Bar Association, condemned the killing, calling it "the most severe attack imaginable against a lawyer acting on behalf of his client and in service of the justice system."
He said the shooting reflected a broader climate of violence in Israeli society and extended condolences to the victim's family.
Central District Police Commander Amir Cohen said the suspect was apprehended after an extensive search conducted with assistance from southern district officers.
"The suspect came to the police and confessed to the act," Cohen said. "Our work will not stop until we locate the firearm used in the shooting and complete the evidentiary picture needed to bring the case to court."
Police said the investigation has been assigned to the Shfela District's central major crimes unit. Initial findings indicate the suspect arrived at the lawyer's office, shot him several times during their meeting and fled.
Emergency services received the first report of the shooting at 1:05 p.m. local time. Magen David Adom paramedics attempted resuscitation but pronounced the victim dead at the scene after finding him unconscious, without a pulse or breathing, and suffering from a penetrating gunshot wound.