The police identified the assailant as Muhammed Naif El-Ja'abis, 23. The perpetrator came from the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Jabal Mukaber. He was employed as an excavator operator at the scene of the attack.[2][13] The police said that the attack was an act of terrorism.[3][14][15] El-Ja'abis was already known to security officials before the attack.[7][16]