Associated Press:

JERUSALEM – Israeli police say a gunman entered a youth club for gay teens in central Tel Aviv on Saturday night and sprayed the interior with automatic rifle fire, killing three people and injuring 11.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said it was "most likely a criminal attack and not a terror attack." Tel Aviv has been a target for Palestinian militants in the past.

He said the gunman burst into the basement of the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association and opened fire on a support group for gay teenagers.

Police are searching the area for the gunman, who fled the scene, he said. Roadblocks were set up.

Rescue services said six of the wounded were badly hurt.

"This was a hate crime, a premeditated attack," witness Yaniv Weisman told Channel 10 TV. He said Cafe Noir, the basement club, was popular with youth.

"Those hurt were very young," he said.

Openly gay Knesset lawmaker Nitzan Horowitz said it was "without a doubt the biggest ever attack on the Israeli gay community, we are all in shock."

Witnesses told Israeli media that the gunman was dressed all in black, and described the scene as a "bloodbath."

The violence that exists around the world never ceases to shock me and this has to be the most shocking. Not only did this gunman viciously attack the entire gay community in Israel that night, he attacked all LGBT youth who struggle enough to identify themselves. I hope that as news of this attack spreads people realize that these were the children who were seeking an opportunity to live life to its fullest and they were stripped of that. They were so young yet they had gone so far in such little time. Maybe no one really knows who these people were but I know exactly what they stood for.

When I think of this story it reminds me of my LGBT youth center, the one I go to every week, and at this moment I am at the point of breaking in tears. Those youth who go there, who are ages thirteen and older, are the bravest people I know. In a world of hate and violence, a world filled with those who concern themselves with the lives of others so much that the thought of those different from them drives them to the point of insanity and as we see here madness, not less than that. Who were those kids? Some, I’m sure were out and proud to be who they are. Some, I’m sure were coming to terms with themselves and beginning to understand their community. And I am sure that there was not a single one that thanked God, someone, everyday that they were finally somewhere that called them brother, sister.

My message as a bisexual man to all those who are LGBT and straight is that our sexuality is not a lifestyle. We have a culture, we have a language, we have a history, and we have come together to love one another. We are a family no matter what anyone says. I don’t care. I don’t care who disagrees with me and I don’t care what they have to say. This is my family and I lost my beloved brothers and sisters. We all have. I cannot comprehend what hatred is. What will it take? I really hope this is not it, because if it takes the murder of three LGBT youth for people to understand that this world needs love and we, the LGBT community, need your love more than any other time in history that is a sad day for the morality of mankind. What morality exists today? I apologize if what I wrote above made little to no sense or stayed consistent but I can’t bear to reiterate or to relive some of the tragic stories that I have been a part of and that have tore apart my family. I hope that no one forgets this story and I hope we can all come to realize that we need a family and what makes a family above all is not a man and a woman and a god, it’s love for one another. Let’s spread the love, everyone.


(The Pic is a Link)