Florida Man Charged with Attempted Murder After Mistaken Identity Shooting in Miami Beach
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A Florida man has been charged with two counts of attempted murder after allegedly opening fire on two men in what authorities are calling an unprovoked attack based on mistaken identity.
Mordechai Brafman, 27, was arrested after firing 17 rounds at a vehicle occupied by an Israeli father and son visiting Miami Beach, according to police. Brafman reportedly told officers he believed the men were Palestinians and thought he had killed them. Both victims survived the attack—one sustaining a gunshot wound to the shoulder while the other was grazed by a bullet.
Brafman is being held without bond in a Miami-Dade County jail on charges of second-degree attempted murder. A court order also mandates that he stay away from the victims, according to local reports.
His attorney, Dustin Tischler, stated that Brafman was undergoing a “severe mental health crisis” at the time of the shooting, which allegedly impaired his ability to make rational decisions. “It is believed that his ability to make sound judgments was significantly compromised,” Tischler said, adding that his client is now seeking mental health treatment while cooperating with investigators.
The Florida chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has called for federal hate crime charges against Brafman. The Muslim civil rights organization argued that the suspect’s alleged bias against Palestinians should warrant additional charges, regardless of the victims’ actual background.
Authorities have not yet indicated whether hate crime charges will be pursued, but the case has sparked national attention as incidents of bias-motivated violence have increased amid global tensions.
Brafman’s next court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
