3 Arrested In Connection With 2009’s Tel Aviv Gay Youth Center Shooting

Israeli police say they have arrested three suspects in connection to the killing of two people at a gay youth center in Tel Aviv four years ago.

On the evening of August 1 at around11 pm, unknown persons with firearms entered the “Aguda” building in Tel Aviv, and opened fire on the crowd attending a “Youth get together” event, and immediately escaped thereafter. Two people were killed, and fifteen were wounded. The police had launched a search campaign to find the shooter, and in addition immediately closed most of the entertainment places for the gay community that operated during the same time of the shooting event, for fear of additional shootings.

The gunmen entered the building where a weekly event was being held in the basement, shot in several directions and then fled on foot. The Center was small with one terrace; thus preventing anyone from escaping Israeli television said the crime scene was a “bloodbath

Spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said the suspects were arrested Wednesday. These were the first arrests in connection to 2009 incident.

The killings were the most serious homophobic attack in a country that is fairly gay-friendly, particularly in the coastal city of Tel Aviv..

The killings were the most serious homophobic attack in a country that is fairly gay-friendly, particularly in the coastal city of Tel Aviv.

The arrests came before Tel Aviv’s annual gay pride parade, set for Friday