Shooting at Shul in Florida

I was quite shocked to read about the shooting that took place outside the Chabad Weltman Shul in Boca Raton, Florida. Despite initial thoughts that this was a terrorist act, in fact it was two congregants who took an ongoing dispute to a new level. In this convoluted story it turns out that a 79 year old man had been having an ongoing dispute with the 44 year old man who he shot on the first day of Rosh Hashana. The two men had gone outside during davening to discuss their differences when the older man took out a gun and critically wounded the younger man.

Understandably this has shocked the community and the shaliach, Zalman Bukiet, was reported to have been in tears. There is obviously more to this story as the shooter was told not to attend shul during Rosh Hashana as he had been bothering a former girlfriend.

It is sad when this sort of violent behaviour, which has always been repugnant to Jews, occurs on Rosh Hashana of all days!

You can read the initial report here, a more in depth report here and a commentary from a Sun-Sentinel columnist here.