Rabbi Joseph Raksin shot and killed near Miami temple, possible hate crime
A 60-year-old Orthodox rabbi was gunned down in broad daylight in north Miami Beach Saturday morning while heading to temple. Police are still actively searching for two male suspects.
Rabbi Joseph Raksin was shot around 9 a.m. Saturday, WFOR-TV reported, as he was on his way to temple. He died soon afterwards. The shooting occurred a mere block away from Congregation Torah Ve’emunah, the synagogue that was vandalized last month with a swastika and the word “Hamas,” leading some to speculate that the shooting was religiously motivated — aka a hate crime.
Police said Raksin was shot several times following an altercation, though witnesses told NBC reporters that there was no altercation and that the assailants were African-American males. Raksin was airlifted to the Ryder Trauma Center, where he died.
They said the shooting likely was a robbery gone bad.
“At this time there is no indication of this being a hate crime,” Miami-Dade police spokeswoman Elena Hernandez said in a statement, according to the Miami Herald.
“I saw a man dressed in black on the ground so I went out I asked my son-in-law to call emergency services and we went over there and tried to help the man,” said Jean Louis Denis to CBS. “As i came to the man I saw a shell on the ground so I realized he was shot.”
The Anti-Defamation League of Florida issued a statement expressing their condolences. It reads: “This is a terrible tragedy. While the motivation for this crime is still being investigated, nothing can justify the killing of an innocent man walking to his place of worship to pray on his holy day.”
Rabbi Druin says it’s too close to home. “This is something out of the ordinary and that’s why the concern is growing here and as a result of seeing what’s going on in Europe and this is a very scary situation.”
“Whether or not a person is an Orthodox Jew, a Christian or a Muslim, the fact that they’re going to pray they’re going for a peaceful nature the fact that somebody can come out and for whatever reason not worth anything will just kill them in cold blood just speaks in a totally negative direction on itself,” Dr. Reynold Stein added.
I’m glad this site is saying all it knows. I don’t understand why the English speaking media, as well as the police, is hiding the fact that the murderes are two black males. The Spanish media was quick & not afraid to give the fact that the murderes are black. Because the English media is hiding these fact, you have people thinking that Hammas is in town. People assume that the suspects are Muslims; and they may very well be, but they are not from the Middle East. They may be Black American muslims from prison, this is not yet known. The only fact we have is that they are black. As far as the mourner that had his BMW vandalized; I guess he was not a religious Jew, as I seldom see one driving a German car. Just like is rare to see a Middle Eastern Muslim in that area of North Miami Beach. This could be hatred brought on by the Liberal & Democrat media directed to local Black Muslims that have learned to be Muslims in prison. Is time that the Jewish people unite with leaders like Rubio whom are Loyal, Dedicated & Commited to both, the USA & Israel & is time to forget this politically correct Bulls*it.