COLUMBUS (AP) — The owner of a Northeast Side restaurant where a man attacked patrons with a machete before being killed by police says he believes his establishment was targeted because he is Israeli, but the FBI isn’t so sure.
Hany Baransi tells The Columbus Dispatch that he thinks the machete-wielding man purposely chose the Nazareth Restaurant and Deli on Thursday instead of one of the other nearby businesses in the strip mall.
FBI Special Agent Rick Smith says it’s too early in the investigation to jump to any conclusions.
FBI spokesman Todd Lindgren would say only that the agency is assisting Columbus police in its investigation.
Authorities identified the attacker as 30-year-old Mohamed Barry. He was fatally shot by an officer after fleeing the scene. Officers unsuccessfully used a stun gun first, and Barry was shot after lunging at the officers.
Four people at the restaurant were injured, one critically.
Police say information connected to the registration of a car driven by the suspect led them to contact the FBI.
The information triggered an alert that required contacting the local terrorism task force, which then contacted the FBI, said police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner. He wouldn’t describe the information.
Columbus Police Chief Kim Jacobs said yesterday that authorities don’t have a motive yet and the man wasn’t known to police.