MIAMI (AP) — Hundreds of mourners followed the casket of a New York rabbi who was gunned down while walking to a temple in Miami over the weekend.
Miami-Dade Police stressed Monday that the slaying of Joseph Raksin appears to have been a robbery gone bad. But they said hadn’t entirely ruled out a hate crime.
Raksin was visiting family when he was approached by two young men and killed Saturday.
Some mourners said they feared Raksin’s faith was a factor in the death, noting that those in the community should have known Orthodox Jews don’t carry wallets on the Sabbath. But police said the perpetrators might not have been aware of the practice.
Raksin’s death comes as the Miami Orthodox community is on edge after swastikas were painted on a synagogue last month.
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'I hate having to shoot you"
makes it a non-hate crime…
Got it.
“Some mourners said they feared Raksin’s faith was a factor in the death, noting that those in the community should have known Orthodox Jews don’t carry wallets on the Sabbath. But police said the perpetrators might not have been aware of the practice.”
In hindsight, I can see how that is pretty obvious. But I wouldn’t have known it as a casual fact, available without thinking about it.
Highly doubt robbers would have had a clue. Sad story, but I don’t think it was about ethnicity. It was about Miami’s crime problem.