Four people are dead and two others are wounded from a March 22 terror attack at a mall in Beersheba.
The Times of Israel and Jerusalem Post reported that the terrorist, identified as 34-year-old Bedouin-Israeli Mohammad Ghaleb Abu al-Qi’an, fatally stabbed a 40-year-old Israeli woman at a gas station, ran over a man with a bicycle who subsequently died, and proceeded to stab multiple people at the BIG Beer Sheva Shopping Mall. Al-Qi’an was shot to death by a bus driver who warned him multiple times to put down the knife he was holding.
The bus driver, identified as Arthur Chaimov, told Channel 12 that he initially thought there was a car accident nearby the mall until he saw Al-Qi’an holding the knife. He said that he didn’t shoot Al-Qi’an until “he came in only a few meters from me, so I made a judgment call, what could I do. I had to shoot him.” Another civilian reportedly shot at Al-Qi’an as well, although that person does not appear to have been identified yet.
Al-Qi’an was imprisoned from 2016-2019 for supporting ISIS, though during his sentencing he expressed remorse over his support for the terror group. Hamas praised the March 22 terror attack, but did not claim responsibility for it.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett tweeted his condolences to the victims’ families in Hebrew and praised the civilians who shot Al-Qi’an for showing “resourcefulness and courage” and preventing “further casualties.” He pledged to “work hard against terrorist operations.”
Hura, the Bedouin town where al Qi’an hailed from, condemned the terror attack in a statement. “Attacking innocent civilians is an act of criminal, despicable terrorism,” they said, urging Jewish and Arab residents “to safeguard the neighborly relationships that have thrived between the sides until now.”
StandWithUs Israel Executive Director Michael Dickson tweeted, “The barbarism with which the terrorist today attacked innocent Israeli shoppers, the ferocity with which he murdered them is pure evil. May their memories be a blessing.”
The video is horrific so I won’t share it but the barbarism with which the terrorist today attacked innocent Israeli shoppers, the ferocity with which he murdered them is pure evil. May their memories be a blessing.
— Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) March 22, 2022
Hillel Fuld, the brother of Ari Fuld, who was murdered by a Palestinian terrorist in 2018, tweeted: “Nauseating how people were afraid to shoot this animal and even once they did, everyone was yelling not to shoot more. Where is our moral compass?”
Devastating news from Beer Sheva. I made the mistake (again) of watching the video of the attack.
Nauseating how people were afraid to shoot this animal and even once they did, everyone was yelling not to shoot more.
Where is our moral compass? https://t.co/GQ1hRe9T3F
— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) March 22, 2022
