A lone gunman killed two people and wounded at least 10 others at a gay support center in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv on Aug. 1. Most of the victims were gay teenagers, who were meeting at the LGBT center when the gunman entered and started firing indiscriminately.
The police’s Tel Aviv district commander, Major-General Shahar Ayalon, said the incident had not been preceded by threats to members of the community.
“For 15 years this place has served as a club belonging to the union for private rights. Today a teen meeting was taking place,” he said. “At some point someone walked in and began firing left and right.”
Yaniv Weizmann, an activist for the LGBT community, said that the incident was a “big shock” in a “liberal” city. “According to the assessments, this was a planned and deliberate act against the gay community,” he said.
Under Israeli law, members of the LGBT community are allowed to serve openly in the military, and couples are given a measure of legal recognition. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to bring the killer to justice.
