‘Kind, sweet, fun-loving' Utah man ‘massacred’ by Hamas terrorists identified as Lotan Abir

During the attack, Lotan Abir was attending the music festival with a few friends from Utah’s Jewish community

Published on: Oct 11, 2023, 12:31:54 IST

By Sumanti Sen

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One of the Americans who was killed by Hamas terrorists at a music festival in Israel has been identified as 24-year-old Lotan Abir, who has been described as a “fun-loving” man from Utah. During the attack, Lotan was attending the festival with a few friends from Utah’s Jewish community.

Lotan Abir has been described as a “fun-loving” man from Utah (Avremi Zippel/Facebook)

Two of Lotan’s friends managed to escape, but he initially went missing, Rabbi Avremi Zippel, with Chabad Lubavitch of Utah, told the Salt Lake Tribune. Officials later confirmed that he died in the attack.

“He was the sort of person that you would want to call your friend,” Zippel said. “He ultimately gave up his life for the sake of our people at a rave while celebrating some of his greatest passions in life. … Just a kind, sweet, fun-loving, innocent soul who was massacred by a terrorist.”

Towards the end of 2022, Lotan wrapped up military service in Israel and moved to Utah. However, he recently returned to Israel to attend some events. Lotan’s friend, Elad Ogorek, who lives in Utah, said that two of his friends who were at the festival told him they had not heard from Lotan ever since they fled. “We knew it was going to be bad news; we didn’t know what type of bad news it was gonna be,” Elad said. “We actually said ourselves, and asked each other, ‘What’s better — to get kidnapped to Gaza or just die?’”

At least 14 Americans have reportedly been killed during the attacks over the weekend. The Biden administration has not confirmed how many Americans are being held hostage. "While we are still working to confirm, we believe it is likely that American citizens may be among those being held by Hamas," president Joe Biden said in a statement. "I have directed my team to work with their Israeli counterparts on every aspect of the hostage crisis."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sumanti Sen
Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More

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