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American injured in Jerusalem attack dies

He was one of three who were killed in the attack.

By Ed Adamczyk
Richard Lakin, 76, died of injuries sustained in an Oct. 13 attack aboard a bus in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Lakin family/Facebook
Richard Lakin, 76, died of injuries sustained in an Oct. 13 attack aboard a bus in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Lakin family/Facebook

JERUSALEM, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- A 76-year-old U.S.-Israeli citizen critically injured in a Jerusalem bus attack two weeks ago died Tuesday, hospital officials said.

Richard Lakin was the third person to die in the Oct. 13 incident in which two Palestinians allegedly shot and stabbed bus passengers in Jerusalem's Armon Hanatziv neighborhood. Lakin sustained stab wounds to the neck and lower abdomen, as well as a gunshot injury to the hip.

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One alleged assailant was shot to death, and the other arrested.

"Dad passed away this morning," a Facebook posting by one of Lakin's two sons said Tuesday. "He was 76 years old, and had eight grandchildren. He was butchered by Muslim terrorists who shot him in the head and stabbed him multiple times ... After the attack, Dad was rushed to Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital in Jerusalem where the incredible medical staff worked diligently around the clock for two weeks trying to save his life, but, alas, his injuries were too severe."

Dan Shapiro, U.S. ambassador to Israel, called information on Lakin's death "devastating news."

Lakin was the principal of Hopewell Elementary School in Glastonbury, Conn., from 1969 to 1984, and also wrote a book, "Teaching as an Act of Love," about his teaching experiences, in 2007. After his retirement, he and his family moved to Israel.

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He is survived by his wife, two sons and eight grandchildren.

The Jerusalem area has been, in the past month, the scene of escalating violence between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis. Restrictions on visits to the Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque, a Muslim holy site, and a perceived lack of progress in addressing the freedoms of Palestinians in East Jerusalem, have prompted a growing sense of frustration on the part of Palestinians.

There have been nearly daily stabbings of Jewish Israelis, often followed by shooting reprisals by Israeli authorities. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are among diplomats who have visited the area, urging calm and negotiations for a preaceful resolution of hostilities.

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