A security guard at the Luna dance club in Haifa was shot and killed in the early hours of yesterday morning, apparently by youths whose entry into the club he had barred earlier in the evening.
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The guard, Arkadi Blobstein, a 31-year-old resident of Kiryat Bialik, was rushed to Rambam Medical Center for surgery, but his condition deteriorated and doctors pronounced him dead shortly before 7 A.M.
Blobstein is survived by his wife and two daughters, aged two and five months.
A special Haifa Police investigative team has been assigned to the case, with police sources noting that the detectives are searching for a white car spotted fleeing the scene.
The Luna dance club is one of Haifa's oldest and biggest night spots. It is situated in the Wadi Salib neighborhood in an old structure that served in the past as a Turkish bath. The club has a capacity of some 600, and a valid business license.
According to reports, Blobstein arrived for his first shift at the club at around 11 P.M., and was supposed to be on duty until 3 A.M. He was posted some distance from the main entrance to the club, in the area in which the guests line up before being allowed inside.
Ronen Shalom, the club's owner for the past eight years, said that Saturday night was an evening of "black" music that attracted primarily youths. He estimated that there were some 400 people at the club at the time of the incident.
"We do not have a selection process based on race or color," he said. "The only selection is based on behavior. There were Ethiopians, veteran Israelis and Arabs here [on Saturday night]."
Shalom said the club's other security guards had told him that shortly after midnight, a group of youth showed up at the club, but were forbidden to enter due to their behavior while waiting in line. The youths then left the scene, very angry.
Later, just five minutes before Blobstein was due to complete his shift, a white car appeared on the road leading to the club, close to where he was posted. The other security guards then heard some noises and saw Blobstein drop to the floor. They rushed to his assistance and called an ambulance, not realizing at first that he had been shot. Paramedics who arrived on the scene found a small entry wound apparently caused by a small-caliber gun.
The police investigation is focusing on a number of angles: Some three months ago, a youth tried to throw a grenade at the home of Luna's owner as an act of revenge for not being allowed into a party at the club. The youth was arrested and indicted. Police are also checking whether Blobstein had made enemies outside of his work as a guard at the club.
"I saw him when he left at 10 in the direction of Haifa," Blobstein's wife, Alicia, said yesterday. "And then in the morning, I received a call from his parents in Migdal Ha'emek. The club had called them to tell them that he was seriously wounded and in the hospital. I went to the hospital and when I arrived, they informed me that he had died. He was a good father, and loved his daughters very much.
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