A supporter of Hamas was shot in the stomach on Thursday after he tackled a supporter of Israel in Newton, Massachusetts, and it was all captured on video.
Advertisement
In the clip, you can see the Hamas supporter shouting from across the street with a surgical mask hanging off his face. He begins to rant about “genocide” and repeats a false claim that over 200,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war in Gaza. At that point, one of the pro-Israel protesters responded verbally. That’s when things escalated.
The Hamas supporter can be seen charging across the street. He then tackles one of the pro-Israel protesters and tries to start hitting him. Unfortunately for the Hamas supporter, he severely miscalculated because the person he tackled also happened to be an Iraq War veteran and a gun owner. After a scuffle on the ground, a pistol is pulled by the pro-Israel protester and discharged, with the Hamas supporter being struck in the stomach. Whether the discharge was accidental or purposeful is not known.
Advertisement
The man who was shot was given medical attention by those he attacked and is reportedly in stable condition. The veteran who discharged his weapon left with the police and an investigation of the incident is ongoing.
This appears to be a case of self-defense, though being in a liberal state in Massachusetts may complicate the situation. Who said what and when will likely play a role in how the law is applied. What qualifies as reasonable use of force can vary from state to state, but typically, you aren’t allowed to shoot someone if you provoke them into a fistfight. In this case, though, it appears the Hamas supporter started the verbal altercation as well.
This is a developing story.