Palestinian boy, 13, arrested for shooting in East Jerusalem

A 13-year-old Palestinian boy was behind a shooting in East Jerusalem Saturday that injured two people, in the second attack in the city in 24 hours, according to reports.

A father and son were seriously wounded in the Saturday attack, while the boy was shot and injured by passersby, and is currently in custody in a hospital.

The boy reportedly posted a message on Facebook that said, “Mom, please don’t be angry with me,” before the attack.

An Israeli Defense Force solider was also “lightly injured,” The Jerusalem Post reported.

A video posted on Twitter appears to show a boy dressed in a white shirt wielding an assault rifle and firing at close range into a small group of men walking up a steep street near the City of David archeological site.

“How the hell does a 13 yr old get access to a gun & know how to use it?” said the tweet, posted by @Ebluemountain1 in Jerusalem Saturday.

The injured father, 47, and son, 22, were in serious but stable condition with injuries to their upper bodies. The younger man was an off-duty paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Forces, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Security footage showed the younger man shot and wounded the boy, who had been lurking behind parked cars with a handgun before jumping out and starting shooting as Jewish pedestrians passed by. 

 The teen, who was in serious condition, reportedly took a bus to the area. Police later raided his home and arrested his parents and other family members, The Post reported. Investigators believe the boy stole the gun from a family member without their knowledge.

“This is a significant rise in the level of terror,” said Dean Elsdunne, a spokesman for the Israeli police, adding that the “terrorist” is being treated in the hospital.

The US Department of Defense condemned the attack, with Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder stating: “We are in close contact with our Israeli partners and stand firmly with them in the face of this attack.” 

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem welcomed the attack, telling the Jersusalem Post: “The heroic action in Silwan is a confirmation of the continuation of the resistance action in all the occupied territories, and in response to the crimes of the occupation against our people in the holy places.”

Saturday’s shooting in the Silwan neighborhood just outside Jerusalem’s Old City came after seven people were killed at a shooting at a synagogue on Friday. At least three were injured in that shooting, and authorities took 42 people into custody in connection with the attack.

In Friday’s shooting, Israeli worshipers had gathered for Friday prayers at a synagogue in the Neve Yaakov neighborhood when a gunman began firing as they were leaving the temple. Authorities shot the gunman dead.

Militant Palestinian groups praised the gunman afterward, but they did not take credit for the attack.

Tensions have been rising since Israeli troops killed nine Palestinians — both militants and civilians — in Jenin in the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The attack was followed by rocket fire into Israel from Gaza, according to reports.