2:54PM EST: A well-known Charedi Askan was just shot and killed in Haifa, YWN Israel has learned.

The incident occurred just a few minutes ago, when gunshots rang out.

MDA and Ichud Hatzolah arrived on the scene moments later, and to their horror found a Frum man lying face down in front of his home – in traumatic arrest R”L.

He was pronounced dead shortly after on the scene by a MDA doctor, after unsuccessful resuscitation attempts.

Zaka and police detectives are on the scene.

According to initial reports, the victim was previously the target of an assassination in 2004, when acid was thrown on his face. Additionally, it is being reported that the victim is heavily involved in Chevra Kadisha and cemeteries – and this incident appears to be criminal (involving burial plots).

Further details will be posted shortly.

UPDATE 4:06PM EST: The victim has been identified as R’ Benny Hasa Z”L, who was the head of the Chevra Kaddisha in Chaifa.

UPDATE 4:55PM EST: Bennny Hesse, director of the Ashkenazi Chevra Kadisha in Haifa, was shot to death outside his home in Sinai street and was critically wounded on Sunday. According to the police, an assassin stalked Hesse, 67, and shot him several times as his wife stood beside him.

Haifa’s religious community was in shock when news of the murder was revealed. People who worked with the victim refused to believe the news and couldn’t imagine why he would be murdered. And yet, this isn’t the first time Hesse was attacked. A few years ago anonymous perpetrators threw acid at him.

A large number of Police forces were present at the scene, including regional police commander Shimon Koren. The police have yet to arrest any suspects.

Despite the previous incident, police said as far as they knew Hesse was not being threatened in the past few years.

All leads are being checked at the moment, police said and added that the background to the act was apparently criminal in nature. “At this stage we do not know how the murderer left the scene,” a senior Haifa police official said.

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(Dov Gordon – YWN Israel / Yaker69 / Ynet)