A Jewish man who fired 17 shots at two Israelis in Miami Beach because he believed them to be Palestinians is now facing fresh hate-crime charges, says the Miami-Dade mayor.
Mordechai Brafman, 27, was originally charged with two counts of attempted second-degree murder Tuesday after he shot two Israeli nationals in the street on a busy Saturday night because he wrongly believed them to be Palestinians. He was quickly apprehended and charged later that night.
Now, Brafman is being pursued by the state attorney for hate crime charges, said Miami-Dade County mayor Daniella Levine Cava.
The Miami-Dade state attorney's office said the hate crimes unit "reviews every criminal offense that has the potential of being motivated by hate.”
“Violence based in hate has no place in Miami-Dade. I thank Miami Beach PD for a swift arrest and Kathy Fernandez Rundle for pursuing hate crime charges,” Mayor Cava wrote on X late Tuesday.
Earlier, the Council on Islamic-American Relations called on federal authorities to investigate the crime as a hate crime.
She added: “Miami-Dade is proud to be a place rich in diversity — we must continue to confront hate in all forms & build a more tolerant community.”
Yaron and Ari Rabi, a father and son, were wounded in the unprovoked attack when Brafman spotted and targeted them at an intersection along the northern end of Miami Beach, before shooting at their vehicle 17 times, according to arrest documents.
Speaking with CBS Monday, Ari Rabi revealed that he was hit in the left shoulder while his father was scraped by a bullet wound in his left forearm. Ari was rushed to a local hospital in stable condition.
“One of the bullets missed my father's head”, he told the network with the help of a friend who interpreted for him. During that interview, the pair confirmed that neither is Palestinian.
The victims confirmed that they had never seen the assailant before.
Brafman’s lawyer, Dustin Tischler, told Local10 that his client was “experiencing a severe mental health emergency” when he opened fire.
He added that as a result of his mental state, Brafman’s “ability to make sound judgments was significantly compromised” and went on to say that the suspect intends to cooperate with law enforcement and is “relieved” that the victims are out of the hospital and recovering.
The case is being reviewed by the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, which, The Independent contacted along with the Miami Beach police department and Mayoral Office for comment.
