Murder of Israeli locksmith in Tenn. raises terrorism fears: report

An Israeli locksmith was reportedly shot dead and robbed by a client in Tennessee last week, raising fears of terrorism among the local Jewish community just days after an Israeli rabbi mysteriously disappeared in the United Arab Emirates.

Israeli national Aviv Brock, who was living and working in Memphis as a locksmith, was fatally shot last week while responding to a client’s call, The Jerusalem Post reported.

Brock arrived at the client’s address for work, but when he became unreachable for two hours, a friend went out to look for him and found him shot outside of his car, Israel National News reported.

The attacker stole his work equipment and left him to die at the scene, the outlet reported.

Authorities are investigating the murder and have not ruled out a terror motive in the killing, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Memphis Police are still attempting to locate possible suspects, and no arrests had been made in connection to the murder as of Sunday morning, Israel National News reported.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry stated it was aware of the incident and that the details of the case are still being examined.

Brock’s relatives are now working to return his body to Israel to be buried.

The Memphis Police Department was not immediately able to offer details on the case to The Post on Sunday.

News of Brock’s death comes after Israel announced it was investigating the disappearance of an Israeli-Moldovan rabbi in the United Arab Emirates, with security officials fearing he was kidnapped or murdered by an Iran-linked terror cell.

Chabad emissary Rabbi Zvi Kogan stopped responding to his family on Wednesday and has since been missing.

Security officials suspect Kogan, who lives and works in Abu Dhabi, was followed by Islamic terrorists who escaped to Turkey, believing he went missing from a location about an hour and half from Dubai.

“Since his disappearance, and in the wake of information of terrorist involvement, an intensive investigation has been launched in the country,” the Israeli prime minister’s office said. 

“Israeli intelligence and security agencies are working continuously out of concern for the well-being and safety of Zvi Kogan.”

Kogan’s disappearance also comes amid heightened Iranian threats to retaliate against Israel for an airstrike in October that destroyed sensitive military bases in the country.