A 13-year-old resident of east Jerusalem opened fire on a group of pedestrians walking home from Shabbat services on Saturday morning near the City of David archaeological site in Jerusalem.
A 47-year-old father and his 22-year-old son were shot by the child terrorist.
The younger man, an off-duty IDF paratrooper officer, was able to shoot back and wound the terrorist, as shown by security cameras from the site. The video showed the youth lurking behind parked cars with a handgun – and when a group of Jewish pedestrians passed, he sprang out and started firing.
The father was reported in moderate condition and his son in serious but stable condition on Saturday night. The terrorist was in serious condition.
Police later raided the home of the youth in Silwan and arrested his familiy members, including his mother and father. Police believe the child stole the handgun he used from a family member without them knowing about it.
According to KAN News, the terrorist had posted on Facebook a message to his mother saying, “Mom, please don’t be angry with me,” before setting off on the attack.
פיגוע ירי בעיר דוד | דובר מד"א זכי הלר: "גבר בן 47 וצעיר בן 23 נפצעו באורח בינוני עד קשה עם פגיעות ירי בפלג גוף עליון. הם מטופלים בבית החולים. שניהם בהכרה מלאה" pic.twitter.com/TICmwrHwG6
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) January 28, 2023
The people injured in the incident
“We quickly arrived at the scene and saw the victims. They were fully conscious and suffered gunshot wounds to their upper bodies,” said MDA paramedic Fadi Dekidak. “We quickly put them in an intensive care unit and evacuated them with life-saving medical treatment to Shaare Zedek Hospital.”
פיגוע נוסף בבירה תוך יממה | זירת הפיגוע בעיר דוד (צילום: מד"א)@noabaranes10 pic.twitter.com/5UeNGFJuGL
— גלצ (@GLZRadio) January 28, 2023
The US Department of Defense condemned the attack, with Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder stating: “We are in close contact with our Israeli partners and stand firmly with them in the face of this attack.”
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed the attack, saying: "The heroic action in Silwan is a confirmation of the continuation of the resistance action in all the occupied territories, and in response to the crimes of the occupation against our people in the holy places."
"The heroic action in Silwan is a confirmation of the continuation of the resistance action in all the occupied territories, and in response to the crimes of the occupation against our people in the holy places."
Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem
The incident occurred the day after the terror attack at the synagogue in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood in Jerusalem, where seven innocent civilians were killed.