18-year-old Sharon resident killed in attack in Israel

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- A Boston-area teenager was killed in an attack in Israel Thursday, the Israel Consulate told FOX25.

The attack took place when a Palestinian terrorist opened fire with a submachine gun at cars stuck in a traffic jam in the Gush Etzion area of the West Bank, south of Jerusalem. Reports say that the terrorist then crashed his car into oncoming traffic and attempted to shoot other Israelis in the area.

Five people were killed in the attack, including 18-year-old Ezra Schwartz, of Sharon, Mass.

"We're all joined together as one community in our grief," said Rabbi Ron Fish.

Schwartz, a 2015 graduate of Maimonides School in Brookline, was spending his gap year studying in Israel. Head of School Naty Katz told FOX25:

"The entire Maimonides School Community is profoundly saddened as we mourn the tragic loss of our recent graduate Ezra Schwartz, Class of 2015, who was murdered in a terrorist attack today in Israel....Our thoughts and prayers are with Ezra's family, classmates and friends."

His friend Naveh Antelman said, "And these innocent kids from Sharon, kids who are close to me, like I have many friends in Israel. And I told them all that it's not safe there, but we can't live in fear."

Rabbi Fish of Sharon's Temple Israel didn't know Schwartz personally, but said the teen was in the member of the youth group.

"This type of activity is what we want of our best kids.  We want our education to lead kids to feel connected to their identity in a deep way," said Rabbi Fish.

A person would publicly identified himself as Schwartz's cousin on Facebook, wrote, "Today I lost my cousin Ezra Schwartz, he was killed by a terrorist near Gush Etzion. He was on his way donating food to the soldiers when he was killed. I am devastated."

Fish said that though the community is mourning, violence will not stand in their way of advocating and traveling to Israel.

"We will continue to go to Israel. We will continue to support our family and friends who live there. We will continue to advocate on behalf of Israel...there is no alternative," he said.

Two middle-aged men, an Israeli and a Palestinian, who were also caught in the traffic jam and shot by the terrorist, apparently by mistake.

Media sources also reported that American citizens were among a number of lightly injured civilians taken to a local hospital.

Cox Media Group