Families of Shooting Victims Mourn Loss

FOX | 7-5 | AP

[mickeylee]

Families of Shooting Victims Mourn Loss Friday, July 05, 2002

LOS ANGELES — The anguished families of two victims killed by a gunman at the Los Angeles airport mourned their loss, recalling one as a generous father and the other as "daddy's girl."

The hail of bullets Thursday at El Al airline's ticket counter killed Yaakov Aminov, who was taking a friend to the airport for a trip home to Israel, along with an airport worker identified as Victoria Chen.

Aminov collapsed in the arms of the friend, Michael Shabtay, said Aminov's brother-in-law, Mark Ezerzer.

"He loved people; he loved everyone," Ezerzer said. "He died taking a friend to the airport."

Friends gathered at the home in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles where Aminov lived with his pregnant wife, Anat, and five children, ages 2 through 9. Cars packed nearby streets, and friends gathered on his front lawn, consoling each other and sharing memories.

Aminov, 46, immigrated from Israel 13 years ago, and built a life as owner of a jewelry store. A former wife and his three other children live in Israel.

He was a devout Orthodox Jew who could be found at the Yad Avraham Temple in North Hollywood around the clock, relatives said, helping with donations and temple renewal projects.

He loved his wife and children, "teaching them the right way," said Mike Moshe, another brother-in-law.

On Saturday nights, Aminov would welcome family and friends into his home, Moshe recalled, and there was always plenty of food and drink.

"It was like a king's house; there was food everywhere," Moshe said. "He would offer you vodka, and if you didn't drink it, it was like you were insulting him."

Chen worked for a company under contract with El Al, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported on its English-language Web site edition Friday the 25-year-old woman, hit in the chest by two bullets, was born in Rishon Letzion and raised in Be'er Sheva.

Her parents, Avinoam and Rachel, emigrated to Los Angeles 12 years ago. She also had two younger brothers, Nimrod and Udi.

"She was daddy's girl," her uncle told the newspaper. "The first time her father wasn't next to her, she caught two bullets in the chest." The uncle was not identified by the newspaper.

[mickeylee]

No, I wasn't terrorism..... BS!!!

[seeker41]

Here is her picture.

[Frohickey]

News reports that Sarah Brady has left Delaware to console the grieving relatives of the murdered are seriously unfounded.

[mickeylee]

No, I wasn't terrorism..... BS!!!

Opps!

No, it wasn't terrorism..... BS!!!

I typed too fast. I was just so sickened and so angry that our government, FBI, police, WHOEVER, won't call it what it is. TERRORISM!

[EggsAckley]

Will we EVER know what happened, what was said, who did/said what to whom......at that ticket counter?? The only "picture" we're getting is that some guy walked up there with two guns and a knife and ........? I know that someone got pistol whipped (huh?) and someone got stabbed (huh? again). Did he use BOTH guns....?

Color me frustrated.

[mickeylee]

Thank you for posting that picture and making it more personal. Can you find a picture of Mr. Aminov?

What a tragedy for the families and friends of both of the victims.

[vikingcelt]

For our "government" to say that this was not an act of terrorism is an affront and an insult to the grieving families and to all of the citizens of what was once a great country. I was absolutely sickened yesterday watching the news after this happened. There was so very much to sicken me. The suggestion that it could have been a "white supremacist", the mayor of LA saying that there are too many people walking around with guns, the FBI saying that there was no evidence of terrorism. Why do we all put up with being insulted and patronized by our own government? Remember, if a lie gets told often enough eventually people begin to accept it as the truth. Apparently, the powers that be think that we are all ignorant, insensitive, unintelligent, unworthy and just plain gullible. Why do they seem to care more about Middle Eastern immigrants than they do about native born American citizens? Why do they seem to care more about the perpetrator of this horrendous assault than they do the victims' families? Why do I feel so helpless and yet so angry all the time now? One of the worst feelings in the world is being lied to by those you are supposed to trust.

[seeker41]

Here is Mr. Aminov's photo.

[mickeylee]

What else do you expect from anything that comes out of LAPD! Their track record speaks for itself. I will reserve judgement for the time being on the spooks.

Why do I feel so helpless and yet so angry all the time now?

Let not your heart be troubled! GOD is still on the throne! :)

[Trust but Verify]

The fact the killer was an Egyptian does not mean he is a terrorist. The FBI is and should be investigating the motive and whether the guy had ties to terrorist organizations.

Once we have the answers to those questions, we'll know whether this was a terrorist attack.

[MinuteGal]

Perhaps you miss the point of many of us. No matter what the investigation comes up with, we pretty much feel the results will be spun into a "hate crime". Calling it a terrorist operation wouldn't make the Homeland Security office, the various LE agencies and the airline industry look too swift.

Leni

[Trust but Verify]

Look, I don't think this is about saving face for the airlines, HS, etc. There is no way an act like this could have been prevented, whether it happened at LAX, El Al ticket counter, or the Quicky Mart!

I actually think that it would be to the governments' benefit to call this a terrorist act. After all, if this is the best they can do, it looks like we're winning BIG time.

[Eva]

It doesn't matter whether the shooter acted alone or in concert with organized terror groups, he is still a terrorist.

This wasn't just a guy with a grudge against an airline, this was a Muslim attack on a Jewish airline. If this had happened in Tel Aviv instead of Los Angeles, would it make a difference? We have had two more people killed who should be added to the New York death toll and we are quibbling over whether or not to classify this as terrorism?

Where is the outrage? Oh, I get it....more outrage wouldn't be politically correct.

[Trust but Verify]

So what you're saying is that any time, I suppose from 9/11/01 forward, a crime is committed by a person of ME descent, it should be classified as a terrorist act?

I would guess, then, that we have had hundreds, if not thousands of terrorist attacks since 9/11.

[mickeylee]

I suppose from 9/11/01 forward, a crime is committed by a person of ME descent, it should be classified as a terrorist act?

Ummmmmmmmmmm......I dont have a big problem with that.

[Eva]

This wasn't just an ordinary crime. If you can classify a White on Black, or a straight on gay crime as a hate crime, why not call a terrifying murderous attack on Jews in a public forum such as an airport, terrorism, or does this offend your politically correct sensibilities?

[Trust but Verify]

Or why not just call it a hate crime?

I guess some of us have a little higher threshold for classifying something as terrorism. If evidence points to this man being part of a terrorist organization, then I'll side with you.

[Eva]

Actually alot of the terrorists in Israel have claimed no association to any organized terror group, that doesn't make them any less a terrorist, neither does it make the statement true.