A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of Israeli national Aviv Broek, a 21-year-old locksmith who was gunned down and robbed while on the job in Memphis, Tennessee.

Memphis police announced that the teen, whose identity has not been released due to his age, faces charges of first-degree murder in perpetration of a robbery and especially aggravated robbery.

Broek was killed last Friday after being lured to a job on Hernando Road, authorities said. He arrived at the location but became unreachable for two hours, prompting a friend to search for him. Broek was found shot near his car, which had been ransacked for his work equipment. Police reported that the attacker left him to die at the scene.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities have not confirmed whether the attack is being considered a hate crime, although indications so far suggest that it was a robbery, not an antisemitic attack.

The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry acknowledged the incident, saying it is in touch with U.S. authorities as the case unfolds.

Broek’s murder comes amid heightened concerns for Israeli nationals abroad. His death followed on the heels of the murder of Chabad shliach Rabbi Zvi Kogan in the United Arab Emirates, sparking fears that Broek was also targeted for being a Jew. Rabbi Kogan’s death is being investigated as a possible attack by an Iran-linked terror cell.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)