The Mordechai Brafman case is a Miami Beach criminal prosecution in which a 27-year-old man is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder with prejudice — Florida’s hate crime enhancement — for allegedly firing 17 rounds into a car carrying two Israeli tourists he mistakenly believed were Palestinian. Brafman has pleaded not guilty, is being held without bond, and faces up to life in prison if convicted.1NBC Miami. Man Accused of Shooting Men He Thought Were Palestinians Charged With Hate Crime
What Happened on Pine Tree Drive
Around 9:30 p.m. on Saturday, February 15, 2025, surveillance video captured Brafman driving a black pickup truck southbound in the 4800 block of Pine Tree Drive in Miami Beach. He made a U-turn at 48th Street, where a car carrying the two victims was stopped. Brafman drove past their vehicle, stopped his truck directly in front of it, got out, and opened fire as the victims tried to drive around him. He fired 17 rounds into their car.2NBC Miami. Man Faces Attempted Murder Charges After Shooting 2 in Miami Beach3ABC News. Miami Man Arrested After Shooting 2 Men Mistakenly
Police described the attack as unprovoked. Brafman did not know the victims and had no prior interaction with them. He drove a short distance after firing, to 4887 Pine Tree Drive, where officers took him into custody.2NBC Miami. Man Faces Attempted Murder Charges After Shooting 2 in Miami Beach4WSVN. Video Shows Man Accused of Shooting Israeli Father and Son
Who Was Shot
The victims were Ari Rabi and his father, Yaron Rabi, Israeli tourists who had arrived in South Florida days earlier. Ari was shot in the left shoulder; Yaron suffered a grazing wound to his left forearm. Both were treated at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and later discharged.5CBS News Miami. Israeli Man Speaks Out After Surviving Miami Beach Shooting6The Guardian. Miami Shooting Israeli Men7The Washington Post. Miami Beach Shooting Palestinian Israeli
What Brafman Told Police
In an interview room after his arrest, Brafman spontaneously told detectives that while driving his truck he “saw two Palestinians and shot and killed both.”2NBC Miami. Man Faces Attempted Murder Charges After Shooting 2 in Miami Beach The men he shot were Jewish Israelis on vacation, not Palestinian.4WSVN. Video Shows Man Accused of Shooting Israeli Father and Son
The Charges and the Hate Crime Enhancement
Brafman was initially booked on two counts of attempted second-degree murder and held without bond. The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Hate Crimes Unit opened an investigation into whether Florida’s hate crime penalty enhancement applied.3ABC News. Miami Man Arrested After Shooting 2 Men Mistakenly8NBC Miami. Hate Crimes Unit Probes Miami Beach Case
On February 25, 2025, prosecutors upgraded the case to two counts of attempted first-degree murder with prejudice, adding the hate crime enhancement. The upgraded charges carry a potential sentence of up to life in prison. Brafman pleaded not guilty.1NBC Miami. Man Accused of Shooting Men He Thought Were Palestinians Charged With Hate Crime
The Defense: Self-Defense and Competency
Brafman is represented by attorney Dustin Tischler, who is running two arguments in parallel. The first is that the shooting was not driven by hate but by fear. Tischler has said the way the victims’ vehicle drove past Brafman “created a fear in his own mind” that they were reaching for a weapon.1NBC Miami. Man Accused of Shooting Men He Thought Were Palestinians Charged With Hate Crime
The second, and the one currently holding up the case, is competency. Tischler told Local 10 News that Brafman was “experiencing a severe mental health emergency” at the time of the shooting and that “his ability to make sound judgments was significantly compromised.”9Local 10 News. Defense Claims Man Accused of Shooting Duo He Thought Were Palestinians Is Incompetent to Stand Trial One medical doctor evaluated Brafman and found him incompetent to stand trial. Florida law requires a second independent evaluation before a judge can rule on competency, and that step remains outstanding.1NBC Miami. Man Accused of Shooting Men He Thought Were Palestinians Charged With Hate Crime
Why a New Prosecutor Is Handling It
On November 3, 2025, Governor Ron DeSantis signed Executive Order 25-227 reassigning the prosecution out of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle voluntarily disqualified herself, citing a conflict of interest involving a relationship between her family and Brafman’s family. The governor assigned the case to Amira D. Fox, State Attorney for the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, for a one-year period running through November 3, 2026.10Florida Governor’s Office. Executive Order Number 25-227
Where the Case Stands
Brafman remains in custody without bond at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center in Miami-Dade County. He has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted first-degree murder with prejudice. The competency question is unresolved pending the second required evaluation. State Attorney Amira Fox now holds the prosecution under the governor’s executive order, with the assignment in place through November 2026.10Florida Governor’s Office. Executive Order Number 25-227