Ami Popper, the man being held for killing seven Palestinian laborers last month, has made two suicide attempts in his prison cell during the past week, his attorney, David Ofek, told the Rehovot Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
Ofek is petitioning to have Popper transferred from prison to a mental health facility.
The 21-year-old former Israel Defense Force soldier was arrested after the indiscriminate shooting on May 20 at a hiring site near Rishon le-Zion, which left seven Arab day laborers dead and 10 wounded.
Popper confessed to the crime, which triggered a week of rioting in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, where the, victims lived.
Popper was ordered held in custody pending a psychiatric evaluation.
His lawyer said he learned from prison warders that Popper tried twice to hang himself with bedsheets. Each time was saved by guards.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
