A Florida man is set to be arraigned on two counts of attempted murder Tuesday after allegedly shooting two men he believed were Palestinian, according to Miami Beach police. Authorities confirmed that the victims were tourists from Israel.
Mordechai Brafman, 27, was arrested in Miami Beach on Saturday night after allegedly firing 17 shots into the victims’ car, hitting one man in the shoulder and grazing another in the forearm, according to a police affidavit.
The affidavit also states that while in custody, Brafman spontaneously admitted to police that he shot at the car because he believed the victims were Palestinian.
Surveillance footage from the scene shows the victims speeding into a driveway before frantically knocking on a door, seeking help.
One of the victims, Ari Revay, spoke to CNN affiliate WSVN, saying he and his son were sitting in their car when another driver pulled up beside them and began shooting without warning.
“He put the window down, driver’s seat, and just blasted (us),” Revay told the station through a Hebrew translator.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for hate crime charges against Brafman, saying his alleged anti-Palestinian motive should determine the charges.
“It is the alleged shooter’s reportedly bias-motivated actions, not the actual ethnicity of the victims, that should be the determining factor for charges in this disturbing case,” said Wilfredo Amr Ruiz, communications director for CAIR-Florida.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether hate crime charges will be added. Brafman remains in custody as the investigation continues.
