TEL AVIV – Two terrorists who killed four people on a shooting spree in Tel Aviv first sat down at the Max Brenner restaurant and ordered a dessert called “milky brownies,” a bartender told The Times of Israel.
Yousef Jabarin of Umm al-Fahm, who is employed by the restaurant, said the two came in dressed in black suits, with white shirts and skinny ties.
He said he knew from their clothes that they were from the West Bank. The terrorists were later identified by police as Palestinian cousins, both 21-years-old, from the West Bank village of Yatta.
As soon as the terrorists received their order, which, according to Jabarin was some fifteen minutes after entering the café, they got up, drew their guns and started shooting indiscriminately.
According to Jabarin, people immediately started running in all directions during the shooting, which lasted a minute. The restaurant does not employ a security guard and neither was there anyone else at the restaurant to stop the attackers.
Meital Sassi told Channel 10 TV she was out with her family celebrating her son’s birthday when she heard shots and “immediately understood it was a terror attack.”
“We ran like lighting with the baby and the stroller…. I yelled at people who didn’t understand what was happening to run.”
The four victims of the attack included a university professor, a mother of 4, an engaged woman, and an ex-commando. 16 others were taken to hospital for injuries.
The Times of Israel reported that in April, Israeli police took steps to close down Sarona outdoor complex over concerns that the commercial center was not secure enough, including issuing the municipality with a request to revoke its business license.
The popular site is home to Israel’s largest indoor culinary market with 93,000 square feet hosting nearly one hundred stores.
Wednesday’s shooting spree is the third deadly terror attack in Tel Aviv in six months.