(2023-0608-F) Ari Halberstam murder

The materials in FOIA 2023-0608-F are a selective body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related material. This FOIA case contains records related to the Brooklyn Bridge shooting on March 1, 1994. At 10:24 AM, Lebanese-born gunman Rashid Baz opened fire on a van carrying 15 Hasidic Jewish students as it crossed the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan. Fifteen year old Ari Halberstam was killed, and 3 additional students were injured. In December 1994, Baz was convicted and sentenced to a 141 year prison term. Two other individuals were eventually arrested and convicted for concealing evidence in the investigation. His uncle, Bessam Reyati, owned the car Baz was driving, and Hilal Abd Al-Aziz Muhammad owned the repair shop that Baz used to conceal damage to his car. In 1999, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI reopened the investigation to look for links between Baz and terrorist organizations. Although the investigation concluded that Baz was acting alone, the DOJ did reclassify the incident as “the crimes of a terrorist.” Devorah Halberstam, Ari’s mother, became an activist and helped author the first New York state counter-terrorism laws. The Brooklyn Bridge ramp where the attack occurred has been named the Ari Halberstam Memorial Ramp. The records responsive to this request include a State Department cable containing the U.S. government’s response to Bessam Reyati’s letter to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. Reyati, a Jordanian citizen with U.S. permanent resident status, was facing deportation due to his conviction. The majority of records related to this FOIA case are closed for national security reasons.