Violence in Jerusalem's Old City Kills 1
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By ARON HELLER
The Associated Press
Friday, August 10, 2007; 10:33 AM

JERUSALEM -- A man grabbed a pistol from an Israeli security guard in
Jerusalem's Old City and shot him on Friday, but was shot dead by
another guard as he tried to flee, Israeli police said.

Rescue teams reported that nine other people were wounded in the melee.

The assailant wrested the weapon from the guard in the Old City's
Christian Quarter, shot him in the shoulder and fled, police and rescue
services said. Police said the identity of the assailant remained known.
Police described the dead man as "Arab-looking" and between the ages of
18-20, but that he carried no identification.

After the shooting, another guard ran after him, and the two briefly
exchanged fire before the assailant was killed, police spokesman Shmuel
Ben-Ruby said. Nine bystanders were wounded by the gunfire and shrapnel,
one seriously and the rest lightly, according to rescue services. Among
the wounded were Jews, Christians and Armenians, police said. It was not
clear if any of the wounded were tourists.

The Israeli government employs the security guards to protect Jewish
families and students who live in the Old City.

The Old City of Jerusalem is home to people of all faiths and is divided
into four quarters: Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian. It is also
popular with tourists and pilgrims from around the world.

The shooting took place in a touristy alleyway in the Christian quarter
near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, where tradition says Jesus was
stripped, crucified, and finally laid to rest before being resurrected
on Easter Sunday.

Despite tensions, attacks in the Old City are rare.

The last attack took place exactly one year ago to the day, when an
Italian tourist was stabbed to death by a Palestinian with ties to the
Islamic Jihad militant group.

Organized tours of the Old City were not interrupted by the shooting but
some of those who neared the bloodstained road expressed concern.

"All the tourists told me, 'We are worried, we are afraid, take us back
to the hotel,'" said Shmulik Shamir, an Israeli tour guide.