Israeli Murdered In LA Shooting Attack Early Wednesday After Apparent Poker Dispute

NEW YORK (VINnews) — A 40-year-old Ashkelon resident was murdered in a Los Angeles shooting attack early Wednesday.

According to Ashkelon media reports, the resident, who was named as Amir Lahaziel, lived in the US in recent years with his son and new family but was previously known in Ashkelon as a car dealer. His family have a close association with Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto of Ashdod. He was murdered near his Beverly Hills home at 2 AM after an unknown assailant spoke with him and then shot him. The assailant escaped and is at large.

It is unclear as yet what the motive for the violent murder was, although the murdered man was known as a successful poker player and acquaintances said that he had been caught up in a dispute over poker or over other issues which have yet to be clarified by investigators.

The Israeli foreign ministry reported that they had heard from the family about the murder and had not been in touch with local authorities in the US. The ministry is trying to gain more information about the incident and to release the murdered man’s body for burial in Israel.