Two men shot dead outside TA nightclub in apparent revenge - Haaretz

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Thu., November 01, 2007 Cheshvan 20, 5768

Israel Time: 01:55 (EST+7)

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Two men shot dead outside TA nightclub in apparent revenge

By Roni Singer-Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent and Agencies

tags: violence

Two men were shot dead late Tuesday night at a Tel Aviv nightclub and three others were injured in what police believe was an act of revenge following a fight earlier this week.

Police arrested three murder suspects. A gag order has been placed on their names.

The murdered men are Sagi Or, 33, the owner of the security company securing the club, and Rafael Ronel, 52, owner of the Taboun restaurant.

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The shooting, which targeted the security guards, is apparently related to a fight three days ago between Or, his security guards and a few youngsters, three of whom were injured. Police believe the three returned to the nightclub, Night, late Tuesday to settle the score.

"There was a very violent confrontation, and police arrived and separated the sides," a guard at the scene told Haaretz.

"This is a very bad incident," said Tel Aviv police commander Major General Ilan Franco at the murder site last night.

Although details of how the murder was committed have been revealed, the court banned further publication.

Or and Ronel apparently were standing at the entrance to the club, which was hosting a party, when the assailants arrived and opened fire on Or at short range. The bullets struck others standing nearby, including Ronel and other revelers.

A witness told Haaretz, "We dropped to the ground. The security guards hurled people in all directions. It was terrifying. I saw my brother injured. After a few minutes, Magen David Adom came and started to evacuate the injured."

The police initially received reports of one assailant firing in all directions. They and rescue workers found Or and Ronel lying near Or's car. Both were fatally injured.

Ronel was resuscitated and taken to Ichilov hospital in Tel Aviv, where he died later. Or was declared dead at the scene.

Despite the brawl over the weekend, there was no police car near the scene of the shooting. "What happened today was not surprising," one of the security guards said yesterday. "We're not dealing with angels, after all."

At first, the police began investigating whether the shooters were people who had not been allowed into the club. But after speaking with the guards, it became clear to them that the murder had been carried out by the youngsters who had fought with Or and his men on Sunday.

"There are always brawls and disputes at these clubs. We're checking whether the incident is related," a police officer said.

Or's uncle and sister-in-law arrived after hearing about the shooting.

"I just want to know if he's alive or dead. A friend of his called us and said he was hurt. We waited a long time at Ichilov until they told us that Or wasn't there," his sister-in-law said.

Franco said the police would reexamine their procedures for securing nightclubs and that they were aware of the numerous confrontations.

"We're thinking of forming 'security zones' around nightclubs, with a lot of police and security. The security guards are in constant contact with the clubbers, and this creates tension," he said.

Four murders have taken place in Franco's district in the last four days, including the stabbing death of a Herzliya teen and the murder of an elderly woman at the hands of her caretaker.

The Tel Aviv Magistrate's Court yesterday extended the remand of the three suspects, one of whom still has head injuries, by nine days.

The primary suspect has produced an alibi for the time of murder, while the other two have reserved the right to remain silent. Their lawyers say they deny the suspicions.

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