‘I immediately reached for my gun’: Israeli terror survivor, former US Marine, shoots attacker and saves his family

A Palestinian gunman chose the wrong target when he shot at David Stern, a trained EMT and former US Marine.

By World Israel News Staff

American-Israeli David Stern was traveling on Sunday with his family on a road near the Palestinian town of Huwara in Samaria when a terrorist shot him in the head.

Stern was fortunate. Although seriously wounded, his condition is improving and is not life-threatening. The bullet scathed the top of his head.

His wife was only lightly injured, and his three children, who were sitting in the back seat, were not hit.

But that was because Stern, a former US Marine, is one of a small number of Israelis to own a gun – and he used it, despite his injury. He shot at the terrorist’s leg and wounded him, forcing him to abandon his weapon while fleeing the scene. Israeli security forces caught up with him and took him for questioning.

Stern is also a trained EMT, and he managed to bandage his wound before being sent to Rabin Center-Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikvah.

MK Tzvi Sukkot (Religious Zionism) tweeted about his “dear friend,” saying that “after sustaining a direct volley [of gunfire], he managed to return fire and wound the terrorist – and then treat himself. A miracle happened here!”

Two days after the attack, Stern recounted his experience, Israel National News reported.

“On Sunday, I was driving with my wife in Huwara towards Jerusalem. I arrived at the square, and the terrorist was crossing the road, I stopped for him to cross the road,” he said.

After noticing that the terrorist was hiding one of his hands in a suspicious fashion, “I immediately started reaching for my gun.

“The terrorist turned towards me, and we started shooting at each other at almost the same time. From the side window I saw that he ran away after firing 10 or so bullets…

“I moved the car a few hundred meters and stopped. I started putting on a tourniquet and a bandage, and after a few minutes, the ambulance arrived and they took me to the hospital.”

‘What will happen to the next family?’

The attack on Stern and his family occurred near the scene of a deadly shooting last month that claimed the lives of two brothers – Hillel Menachem Yaniv, 22, and Yigal Yaakov Yaniv, 20. Palestinians in Huwara, Nablus, Jenin and elsewhere in the Palestinian-run territories, as well as in Gaza, celebrated the murder.

According to a new poll, 71% of the residents of Huwara approved of the attack on the Yaniv brothers.

Stern thanked the public for their support and prayers, but stressed the need for greater security.

“I want to say first of all thanks to God and to all the people of Israel for their prayers and support. I really feel everyone’s love. Thank you very much,” he said.

“I want to say that the barriers must be restored. We cannot continue like this. We miraculously survived the attack, but what will happen to the next family?”