Ephraim Gordon, a resident of Jerusalem, was murdered early Monday morning in Baltimore Maryland.
Gordon, 31, was visiting the US to attend the wedding of a cousin, and was gunned down on the step's of a relative's house. He is survived by his parents and a sister.
Gordon's sister, Ella, told Arutz Sheva: "It was not a robbery that went wrong, but a murder with an anti-Semitic background. My brother wore a kippah and had a beard. Three people ambushed him as he returned home. They didn't take any money - they just shot him in the stomach and fled."
"Effie was in a Jewish neighborhood in Baltimore and had a beard because of the Omer. On the day of the incident he went out to have fun and when he returned at 12 at night, not far from the house, three terrorists ambushed him at the end of the street. My brother came to the apartment door and they surrounded him.
''The neighbors heard shouts of hatred and shot him in the stomach and did not let him live. They murdered my brother. To come and say that it was a robbery that went wrong is not logical," Ella added." Nothing was stolen from him, they left the bag, wallet, headphones, watch and his passport, everything remained, it's just murder for being Jewish."
The sister asked: "Why do we as Jews have to be afraid and take off the necklace with the Star of David and cannot write in Hebrew or fly the Israeli flag? My brother went to the United States and it is not a third world country. We could not know that such a thing would happen. I would like an official on behalf of the country to tell us what is going on and give us details and help us. This is an act of hatred, my brother did not just die. There are no signs of violence and they did not take money."
The Baltimore police have stated that they believe the murder was a robbery gone wrong. However, eyewitnesses told COLLIVE that the shooter shouted anti-Semitic slurs at Gordon before shooting him.
Binyamin Regional Council chairman Yisrael Gantz stated yesterday that the murder was definitely motivated by anti-Semitism.
"Ephraim Gordon, a fine man, was killed yesterday for being a Jew in an anti-Semitic attack in the United States. The 31-year-old left behind parents and a sister," Gantz said.
"Effie was a new resident of this fine community, a high-tech man, a family man who has always loved to give and help others.
"He flew to a family reunion in the United States and yesterday he was shot dead by cursed anti-Semites just because he was a Jew. They shouted hate speech against Jews while shooting at him."