Families of Shooting Victims Mourn Loss

LOS ANGELES – The anguished families of two victims killed by a gunman at the Los Angeles airport mourned their loss, recalling one as a generous father and the other as "daddy's girl."

The hail of bullets Thursday at El Al airline's ticket counter killed Yaakov Aminov, who was taking a friend to the airport for a trip home to Israel, along with an airport worker identified as Victoria Chen.

Aminov collapsed in the arms of the friend, Michael Shabtay, said Aminov's brother-in-law, Mark Ezerzer.

"He loved people; he loved everyone," Ezerzer said. "He died taking a friend to the airport."

Friends gathered at the home in the North Hollywood section of Los Angeles where Aminov lived with his pregnant wife, Anat, and five children, ages 2 through 9. Cars packed nearby streets, and friends gathered on his front lawn, consoling each other and sharing memories.

Aminov, 46, immigrated from Israel 13 years ago, and built a life as owner of a jewelry store. A former wife and his three other children live in Israel.

He was a devout Orthodox Jew who could be found at the Yad Avraham Temple in North Hollywood around the clock, relatives said, helping with donations and temple renewal projects.

He loved his wife and children, "teaching them the right way," said Mike Moshe, another brother-in-law.

On Saturday nights, Aminov would welcome family and friends into his home, Moshe recalled, and there was always plenty of food and drink.

"It was like a king's house; there was food everywhere," Moshe said. "He would offer you vodka, and if you didn't drink it, it was like you were insulting him."

Chen worked for a company under contract with El Al, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The Israeli newspaper Ha'aretz reported on its English-language Web site edition Friday the 25-year-old woman, hit in the chest by two bullets, was born in Rishon Letzion and raised in Be'er Sheva.

Her parents, Avinoam and Rachel, emigrated to Los Angeles 12 years ago. She also had two younger brothers, Nimrod and Udi.

"She was daddy's girl," her uncle told the newspaper. "The first time her father wasn't next to her, she caught two bullets in the chest." The uncle was not identified by the newspaper.