Gunman who shot Israelis in Florida probed for hate crimes, claims mental illness

Mordechai Brafman, 27, charged with attempted murder after firing 17 shots at Israeli father and son, having mistaken them for Arabs.

By World Israel News Staff

A Jewish Floridian who shot an Israeli man and his son in the greater Miami area over the weekend after mistaking them for Palestinian Arabs has been charged with two counts of attempted murder and is under investigation for possible hate crime violations.

Investigators filed the charges this week, days after the gunman fired multiple rounds at his victims without prior confrontation or incident.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, 27-year-old plumber Mordechai Brafman of Miami Beach spotted Ari Rabey and his father as they drove through Bal Habour near Miami Beach.

Mistaking them for Arabs, Brafman pulled his car up alongside the Rabeys’ vehicle and fired 17 shots toward them.

Ari was wounded in the shoulder, while his father’s arm was grazed by a bullet.

Brafman fled the scene, returning home Saturday night. Police arrested Brafman several hours later.

During an interrogation, Brafman claimed that he had murdered two Palestinian men.

While Brafman’s victims were in fact Jewish, authorities are examining whether the incident can be prosecuted as a hate crime.

An attorney representing Brafman claimed his client was mentally impaired at the time of the shooting.

“At the time of the incident, Mr. Brafman was experiencing a severe mental health crisis which caused him to be in fear for his life,” attorney Dustin Tischler said.

“It is believed that his ability to make sound judgments was significantly compromised. We are committed to working with medical professionals to ensure Mr. Brafman receives appropriate and necessary treatment. My client has no prior history of violent or hateful behavior and is cooperating with law enforcement. He acknowledges the seriousness of the charges but was not able to control his actions.”