Why were 2 people shot in Miami Beach? The suspect said he ‘saw 2 Palestinians,’ cops say
A 17-shot fusillade from a shooter with a semiautomatic handgun sent two Israeli tourists to the hospital after an encounter Saturday night in Miami Beach, police said.
As for what ignited such a random attack on Pine Tree Drive, the arrest form details Mordechai Brafman giving detectives his account in the police interview room, where he “spontaneously stated that while he was driving his truck, he saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both.”
Brafman didn’t kill anybody, according to police. One person was shot in the left shoulder; the other grazed in their forearm.
Also, the two men shot were vacationing Israelis Ari Rabey and his father, in Miami Beach after spending time in Colombia and California. His Facebook posts after the shooting show Rabey at Jackson Memorial Hospital after being shot in the shoulder and their Hyundai with several bullet holes and markings.
Since Brafman’s arrest on two counts of attempted second degree murder, he’s been held at Miami-Dade Corrections Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. No bond was granted during Monday’s first appearance in court. A pretrial detention hearing will be held Tuesday morning.
Dustin Tischler, Brafman’s attorney, said in a statement to the Herald on Monday night that his client “was experiencing a severe mental health emergency” when he opened fire.
“It is believed that his ability to make sound judgments was significantly compromised. We are fully cooperating with law enforcement officials and acknowledge the seriousness of the allegations,” Tischler said. “We are also committed to working with healthcare professionals to ensure Mr. Brafman receives the appropriate and necessary treatment. Finally, we are deeply relieved that the victims are safe.”
The married, 27-year-old Collins Avenue condominium owner gave “plumber” as his occupation to arresting officers and is listed in state corporate records as the authorized representative of North Miami-Dade’s White Collar Plumbing.
City of Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez posted to social media Monday that he’s sent a letter “urging the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office to pursue hate crime charges in this case to ensure justice is served to the fullest extent of the law.”
The Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Florida chapter called for federal hate crime charges in the shooting.
Around 9:30 p.m. Saturday, the arrest report said, video from street surveillance cameras showed Brafman’s truck heading south on Pine Tree Drive, then making a U-Turn at 48th Street and stopping in the right lane, according to the arrest report. Behind the truck and in the left lane, just north of 48th Street, was another car.
“[Brafman] then exited his vehicle and remained on the driver’s side,” the report said. “As the victims were driving past him, [Brafman] shot at the victim’s vehicle 17 times, unprovoked, striking both victims.”
Police cuffed Brafman at 4887 Pine Tree Drive. Brafman’s attorney, the arrest report said, advised him to indulge in his right to remain silent rather than answer questions about the video.
This story was originally published February 16, 2025 at 5:35 PM.
