Friday attacker's father: Arrest him before he murdered more people
Residents of the Wadi Ara region from where the suspect comes, including members of his family, have expressed their hope that police will find him quickly.
The father is the one who called the police and told them that he recognized his son in the footage of the incident that was broadcast on television. "I'm worried and I want to hear that he's in the police's hands," he said, adding, "I stayed at the police station until 6am. I didn't know about the incident at all.
"Suddenly friends called and told me. Right after I saw his photo, I drove to the local police station and told them it was my son. I'm shocked and my mental state is fraught. We all condemn the event. I don't know how this disaster came upon us. My son was in therapy. We didn't sense that he wanted to perpetrate any unusual act."
The suspected shooter is a 31 year-old resident of Ar'ara, in the Wadi Ara area. He is an ex-convict who was sentenced to five years in prison after he attempted to steal an IDF soldier's weapon.
The more time passes, the more the manhunt focuses on intelligence. Security forces questioned the shooter's relatives in an attempt to find out if he was in contact with terrorist organizations before the attack. Members of the Shin Bet are also participating in the search.
Several other family members and Wadi Ara residents have expressed their condemnation of the attacker's acts. Mahmad Masri, a member of the Ar'ara local council, said, "We are in shock. The shooter is my neighbor. The entire village is surprised and condemns the event."
Police arrived at the family's home on Saturday afternoon and confiscated the attacker's computer.
