http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.681151
Gunman Behind Be'er Sheva Shooting Attack Identified as Bedouin Man
Israeli soldier was killed and 11 people were wounded in Sunday's attack; Eritrean asylum seeker, who was shot after being mistaken for terrorist, dies of wounds.
Almog Ben Zikri and Ido Efrati Oct 19, 2015
The gunman behind the shooting attack in Be'er Sheva on Sunday was a 21-year-old Bedouin man, police said on Monday after a gag order was lifted.
An Israeli soldier was killed and 11 others were wounded in a shooting at the Central Bus Station in the Southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva on Sunday evening. An Eritrean asylum seeker was shot during the incident after a security guard mistook him for the terrorist. He later died of his wounds. The gunman was also shot and killed.
Police identified the attacker as Mouhand al-Okbi, an Israeli citizen, from the Negev town of Hura. The Shin Bet security service said that al-Okbi's mother, who is originally from the Gaza Strip, moved to Israel after she married an Israeli citizen. He had no prior criminal record. Police forces, SWAT teams, and the Shin Bet overnight arrested a member of his family who is suspected of involvement in the attack.
Among the wounded in the attack, two suffered serious wounds, with another said to be in critical condition. The soldier who was killed in the attack has been named as 19-year-old Sgt. Omri Levy from Sdei Hemed.
The asylum seeker who was killed in the attack was identified as Haftom Zarhum, 29, of Eritrea. He had traveled to Be'er Sheva to obtain a visa and was on his way home when he was shot in the Central Bus Station. In videos captured at the scene, the asylum seeker is seen attacked by the people around him, including a soldier, after being shot. People are seen kicking him, throwing a bench at him and pinning him to the ground with a chair. Some of the witnesses made efforts to stop the attackers.
The bus station is a closed compound with security guards posted at the entrances. It is unclear how the gunman managed to get past the guards.
Received on Mon Oct 19 2015 - 04:22:55 EDT