Last update - 00:00 06/01/2008
Police investigate drive-by shooting death of man in Taibeh
By Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent
Police are searching for the perpetrators of a drive-by shooting in the town of Taibeh on Saturday night which claimed the life of a 23-year-old man who is believed to have a history of run-ins with the law. The man's sister, 28, and her eight-year-old daughter were wounded in the shooting. The young girl is listed in serious condition at Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava.
Sharon district police say the incident occurred around 9:00 P.M. The three family members arrived at the home of their relatives in Taibeh. As they stepped out of their vehicle to approach the entrance of the relatives' home, another car stopped alongside. Gunshots were fired from inside the vehicle from a range of three to four meters. The vehicle subsequently sped away from the scene.
The man suffered critical gunshot wounds, his niece was seriously injured by bullet wounds to the chest, and his sister suffered moderate injuries.
Nearby residents who heard the shooting tended to the victims, offering aid and transporting them to the medical treatment center in the town. A Magen David Adom rescue crew summoned to the center pronounced the man dead while en route to Meir Hospital in Kfar Sava.
Police would not comment on the deceased's criminal record. One possibility being mulled over by investigators is that the intended "target for liquidation" was another individual standing near the three family members. The killing may also have been motivated by an old blood feud.
Over the years, Taibeh has been the scene of dozens of killings, yet police have been unable to make headway in solving most of the cases.