Aviv Broek was murdered in Memphis, Tennesssee last week, possibly because of his nationality and religion.
"Israeli Locksmith, 21, Lured to Death in Memphis: 'They Set a Trap'"
Aviv Broek left Israel seeking the American dream. Instead, the 21-year-old from Rehovot became the victim of a meticulously planned robbery that turned deadly on a quiet Memphis street Thursday night.
"They claimed someone's mother was stuck in a car, offering double pay," his brother Rotem told reporters, fighting back tears. "Despite the late hour, Aviv went to help. That's who he was - always ready to assist others."
Police say Broek was called to change a car lock in south Memphis around 10:30 PM. Upon arriving at the isolated location, he was shot four times in the stomach despite not resisting the robbery. The killers took everything - his equipment, cash, and even his passport.
The murder appears carefully orchestrated. Investigators found the suspects used a disposable phone and chose a spot without security cameras near a highway. Co-workers located Broek's body two hours later using a phone tracking app that had suddenly gone dark.
"We thought it was safer there than in Israel," Rotem said bitterly. "Aviv always told us he took care of himself and avoided dangerous areas." The young locksmith had spent six months building his business in Memphis after initially working in Los Angeles.
Friends have launched a fundraising campaign to return Broek's body to Israel for burial as police continue hunting for suspects. The Foreign Ministry confirmed they're monitoring the investigation.
Although his U.K. passport has since been recovered, his Israeli passport & phone are still missing.
This is what his family said: “Our family is devastated to learn of the murder of our son, Aviv who was only in the United States for a few months until his brutal murder.
To date, the Memphis police have provided us very little information and we are concerned. We are foreigners, Jews in a foreign land & we need answers & require assistance to demand justice for our son.
We believe there must be an immediate hate crimes investigation. We are aware of the reality that in 2024, Jews are being hunted worldwide. The enemies of the Jewish people have called to "globalize the Intifada" and we are concerned that this may be the case in Memphis.
We request that the FBI investigate this as a hate crime. We request that every decent American, Jew and non-Jew, stand with the Jewish & Israeli community in ensuring a full civil-rights investigation now. Today we demand answers."
As reported by Jake Novak, Betar USA is providing the family with emergency assistance, but the family is also seeking a civil rights attorney for possible civil rights claims and an estate lawyer to deal with issues related to his tragic murder.
Ynet contributed to this article.