Israeli security forces have detained a suspected gunman who injured eight people near Jerusalem’s iconic Western Wall, the authorities said on Sunday. According to the police, the man turned himself in after a large-scale manhunt.
The police said they confiscated a gun presumably used in the attack, which took place near the Western Wall – a sacred pilgrimage site for Jewish people. The suspect was taken in for questioning, the agency added.
On Sunday morning, a shooting attack just outside of Jerusalem’s Old City that targeted a bus near King David’s Tomb injured at least eight people, with two heavily wounded and five slightly. One of the victims was a pregnant woman who was shot in the stomach and, according to local media, is now in serious condition. According to the Jerusalem Post, the baby was delivered in an emergency C-section and is now in serious but stable condition.
The police said the suspect was detained in an operation that involved helicopters and special forces.
The alleged gunman had reportedly waited for the bus to arrive and opened fire when the passengers were boarding. Afterwards, he apparently fled on foot to one of the nearby neighborhoods.
Daniel Kanievsky, the bus driver, told the Times of Israel that panic erupted in the vehicle, saying he wanted to drive away, but could not because passengers were helping a woman in a wheelchair to get on the bus, and the wheelchair ramp blocked the doors from closing.