Tel Aviv Film Shoot Sparks Terror Fears After Actor Walks Street With Real Gun

Panic broke out in Tel Aviv yesterday afternoon after passersby saw a man walking on Henrietta Szold Street with a drawn pistol. Dozens of urgent calls flooded police emergency line 100, with witnesses fearing either an armed robbery or a terror attack. Large forces from the Lev Tel Aviv station in the Yarkon district were sent to the scene, expecting a serious security or criminal incident.

Police quickly identified those involved and then discovered that the alarming sight was part of a film production. The production team had filmed in a public area without first coordinating with police, as required for any event involving a display of weapons or violence in public. The investigation further found that the prop was not a fake weapon at all, but a real, lethal handgun.

According to a report by N12, the film director, who legally holds a gun license, handed his personal firearm to an actor who has no weapons permit. The actor then walked freely through the busy street with the gun drawn, frightening people who feared for their lives. Police said the case was treated very seriously because such behavior can end disastrously, especially in tense times.

Officers arrested two suspects, a 60-year-old from Ramat HaSharon and a 72-year-old from Ramat Gan, on suspicion of negligently handing over a firearm to an unauthorized person and unlawful possession of a weapon. After questioning at the police station, both were released under restrictive conditions, and the gun was seized. One officer told N12 the incident was severe negligence that could have caused tragedy, noting that bystanders or armed security forces could have mistaken the actor for a terrorist and opened fire.