Israeli man speaks out after Miami Beach shooting by suspect who mistook him for Palestinian
MIAMI - An Israeli man is speaking out after he and his father were targeted by gunfire in Miami Beach over the weekend in an attack police say was the result of mistaken identity, with the alleged shooter believing they were Palestinians.
Ari Rabi, who arrived in South Florida just four days earlier from Israel, described the terrifying moment when a stranger opened fire on their car, firing 17 rounds.
"Boom, boom, boom, boom. I got hit in the shoulder. One of the bullets missed my father's head," Rabi said through his cousin, who served as an interpreter.
The shooting occurred Saturday night on the bustling Alton Road, a popular area for tourists.
According to police, 27-year-old Mordechai Brafman saw Rabi and his father in their vehicle and, believing they were Palestinian, opened fire without provocation. The suspect and the victims did not know each other, police said.
"Some guy thought we were Palestinians and he just started shooting," Rabi said. "Seventeen bullets, only one hit."
Surveillance footage showed Brafman's truck making a U-turn near 48th Street before stopping near the victims' car. He then stepped out and fired repeatedly, the video showed. One bullet struck Rabi's left shoulder, while another grazed his father's forearm.
Both survived and were not seriously injured.
Brafman was arrested shortly after the shooting. While in custody, police say he made a spontaneous statement, claiming, "I saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both."
He remained in custody on Monday, facing two counts of attempted second-degree murder.
Calls for hate crime investigation
The attack has sparked calls for a federal hate crime investigation. Wilfredo Ruiz of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) described the shooting as an act of terrorism, saying, "Someone randomly targeted people he assumed were Palestinians or Arabs. This was a terrorist act."
Ruiz is urging the FBI and local officials to determine whether Brafman acted alone or had ties to an extremist group.
"We need the feds involved. Did he act alone? Was he part of a hate group? We don't know yet. It's up to the authorities to provide answers," Ruiz said.
"A life shouldn't just be taken away"
Despite the ordeal, Rabi said he's grateful to be alive.
"The last thing I want to say is thank God for life," he said. "A life shouldn't just be taken away from anyone. It doesn't matter who you are, what religion you are, or where you're from. People should just live in peace."
Brafman's next court hearing has not yet been scheduled.
