A man from Florida has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly firing at two individuals in Miami Beach, mistakenly believing they were Palestinians.
As per the arrest details, Mordechai Brafman discharged his firearm 17 times in what authorities have deemed an “unprovoked” incident. He reportedly told the police that while driving his truck, he noticed two men whom he presumed to be Palestinians and opened fire on their vehicle, initially thinking he had fatally injured them. Fortunately, the two men survived the encounter; one sustained a gunshot wound to the shoulder, while the other was grazed by a bullet.
Currently, Brafman, aged 27, is being held without bail at a county jail in Miami on charges of second-degree attempted murder. Court records indicate he has also been instructed to maintain his distance from the victims—an Israeli father and son who were on vacation in South Florida.
Brafman’s attorney, Dustin Tischler, mentioned that his client was undergoing a “severe mental health crisis” during the time of the shooting, which he argues led Brafman to feel he was in danger.
Tischler further elaborated in a statement that Brafman’s capacity to make rational decisions was significantly impaired at the moment. He emphasized that Brafman is currently seeking the “necessary treatment” and is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
In response to the incident, the Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an organization that advocates for Muslim civil rights, has urged that federal hate crime charges be filed against Brafman. They assert that the suspect’s alleged prejudice against Palestinians warrants such charges, independent of the victims’ backgrounds.