Aug 1, 2009 8:00 pm US/Eastern
Gunman Kills 3, Injures 11 At Youth Gay Club
Israeli Officials Looking For Gunman Who Opened Fire Inside Gay Club For Youths In Tel Aviv
JERUSALEM (CBS) ―
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An injured man is treated as he is brought into Ichilov hospital following a shooting in a gay club on Aug. 1, 2009, in Tel Aviv, Israel.
Uriel Sinai/Getty Images
Israeli police say a gunman entered a youth club for gay teens in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night and sprayed the interior with automatic rifle fire, killing three people and injuring 11.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was "most likely a criminal attack and not a terror attack." Tel Aviv has been a target for Palestinian militants in the past.
He said the gunman burst into the basement of the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association and opened fire on a support group for gay teenagers.
Police are searching the area for the gunman, who fled the scene, he said. Roadblocks were set up.
Rescue services said six of the wounded were badly hurt.
"This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack," witness Yaniv Weisman told Channel 10 TV. He said Cafe Noir, the basement club, was popular with youth.
"Those hurt were very young," he said.
Openly gay Knesset lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz said it was "without a doubt the biggest ever attack on the Israeli gay community, we are all in shock."
Witnesses told Israeli media that the gunman was dressed all in black, and described the scene as a "bloodbath." Witnesses also said the gunman was wearing a mask, according to Israeli newspaper
Haaretz.
Haaretz reports officials have ordered the closure of all gay centers in the area as a precaution.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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