Esther Lugasi was among those hurt in Monday’s deadly shooting at Ramot Junction in Yerushalayim. Speaking with Arutz Sheva, she gave a firsthand account of the terrifying attack in which two Palestinian Arab terrorists murdered six Jews and injured twelve more.
“When I got off the bus, I started to hear gunshots. I didn’t know where it came from. I so people running, so I ran with them,” she recounts in tears.
In the chaos, someone shoved her, and she fell, suffering minor injuries.
She described what followed: “We kept running until we got to a bus terminal, and they told us to go hide there. So everybody went there and waited until they told us we could leave.”
The bullets missed her by mere inches. “It’s really a miracle that they didn’t hit me,” she said.
Esther vividly remembered the fear that overtook her in those moments. “I felt like I was going to die because, when I fell, my arms were full of blood, so I thought: ‘Oh my G-d I’m dead. But how am I running if I’m dead?’ Then someone pushed me and told me to keep running.
“It felt like I was running for hours, but it was just seconds. Maybe because I was so afraid, it felt like hours. We crossed the street and hid with other women who were also scared.”
Because of the injuries to her arms, she was treated at Shaare Zedek Medical Center.
She also recalled encountering one of the soldiers who ended the attack. “As I was running, I saw a soldier. I said to him, ‘Please, please, help us,’ because I saw that he had a gun. He was looking to see where to shoot. Later, I heard that he killed the terrorist.”
Esther expressed her belief that more Israelis should be able to carry firearms. “There were only two people there (who were armed), and there could have been more dead; it’s awful. They should let more people carry guns to protect themselves, because in our country, G-d protects, but people also have to do their part.”
She explained that she will shield her children from the full details of what happened. “I don’t see a reason to tell them that their mother was almost killed. They’re just going to be more afraid. My little girl is already afraid because of the war with Iran; she’s still afraid, she gets scared when she hears a siren, so I don’t think I’m going to add to her fears.”
Reflecting on her survival, she emphasized her sense of gratitude. “I feel like I got another year, it’s almost Rosh Hashanah, and I got a new opportunity. If I got my life back, I have to get better.”
{Matzav.com}
