A Florida man was arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder after opening fire on a vehicle containing two men he mistakenly believed were Palestinians but were actually Israeli visitors, according to local authorities.
Miami-Dade County Corrections identified the suspect as 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman. He was booked on Sunday for Saturday’s shooting and faces two counts of attempted murder.
A Miami Beach Police Department report revealed that Brafman told officers he had been driving his truck in Miami Beach when he noticed two individuals he assumed were Palestinian. Brafman allegedly stopped his vehicle, fired shots, and believed he had killed them, police said.
Both victims survived, sustaining non-fatal injuries. One suffered a shoulder wound, while the other was injured in the forearm. Authorities confirmed the victims were Israeli visitors, not Palestinians.
Reuters was unable to immediately locate a representative or lawyer for Brafman.
Human rights groups have noted a rise in anti-Muslim, anti-Palestinian, and antisemitic incidents in the United States since the escalation of the Israel-Gaza conflict following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Source: Swifteradio.com.
