Shouting, 4 bullets, and an escape: New details from the murder of a lawyer in Rishon LeZion
An argument that lasted for several minutes in a busy law firm ended, according to police, with four shots and a murder. The client fled the scene with a gun in his possession and later surrendered to the police.
Until 13:00, the workday at the law firm in western Rishon LeZion proceeded as usual. Clients entered and exited, employees sat in their offices, and outside, the bustling midday traffic of the industrial zone continued, near the Zahav Mall and Cinema City. Then, a client known to the lawyer entered the office.
According to the suspicion, the conversation between the two escalated into an argument that lasted several minutes and was conducted in high tones. The lawyer's partner, who was in an adjacent room, testified that he heard what was happening. The police estimate that the background to the confrontation was the client's dissatisfaction with the handling of his tort case. At a certain point, according to testimonies, at least four shots were heard. According to the suspicion, after the shooting, the suspect left the office and fled the scene, with the pistol likely still in his possession. The partner called Magen David Adom (MDA) and reported that the lawyer had been shot.
The murdered lawyer did not practice criminal law, but mainly tort law, traffic accidents, and traffic offenses. According to the initial police assessment, the background to the murder is not related to a criminal organization or a broad criminal dispute, but to the suspect's dissatisfaction with the handling of the case in which he was represented. The commander of the Rishon LeZion station, Chief Superintendent Gil Alhadad, described the sequence of events: "Around 13:00, a client known to the lawyer arrived at the office. An argument developed between the two in high tones, and at a certain point, at least four shots were fired."
Police collected testimonies from two people who were in the vicinity of the office. One of them went up with the suspect to the floor where the shooting occurred, and the second is the lawyer who was sitting nearby and heard the confrontation. According to Alhadad, the testimonies collected so far indicate that this is a business dispute. "Apparently, he was not satisfied with the service he received," he said, but emphasized that the investigation is still in its early stages.
Fled armed in the heart of a bustling area
The murder took place at midday, in the heart of a bustling commercial area where businesses, offices, and shopping centers operate. Despite the risk of being exposed, the suspect arrived at the scene, according to the suspicion, armed with an unlicensed pistol, fired, and fled. The suspect's identity is known to the police. He is a resident of the center of the country known to them from previous offenses. At this stage, it is being checked whether his past also includes weapons offenses, alongside property offenses and other crimes.
Dozens of police officers and special units participated in the manhunt. Investigators are collecting footage from the many security cameras in the area and mapping out possible escape routes. "He is walking around with a pistol," said the station commander. "I don't want to alarm the public. We are after him with all our best units." According to him, the police had information about the suspect's identity and the area where he might be found. Subsequently, the suspect turned himself in.
"I understand that this is the worst of all"
While the police scanned the area and investigators worked inside the office, the lawyer's family members and friends began to arrive at the scene. His mother stood outside the scene even before she received an official notification, and upon seeing the police vehicles and rescue forces, she understood the severity of the event. "They didn't tell me anything, but I'm not stupid," she said. "I understand that this is the worst of all. I see all the police vehicles and there is no mistaking it."
Shortly thereafter, the commander of the Rishon LeZion station, Chief Superintendent Gil Alhadad, delivered the news of her son's death to her. One of the lawyer's friends also had difficulty processing what had happened. "I spoke with him this morning," he told Maariv. "I am in shock, I need to process what is happening here. He is not a criminal lawyer."
MDA paramedics Naftali Halberstadt and Meir Binenfeld said that upon their arrival, they found the lawyer without signs of life. "We performed medical checks, and unfortunately, we were forced to declare his death on the spot," they reported.
