(TJV NEWS) Roei Shalev, who witnessed the murder of his girlfriend Mapal Adam during the terrorist attack at the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023, died by suicide on Friday night, Times of Israel reported.

Hours before his body was found, Shalev posted on social media, expressing that he “couldn’t take it anymore” and asking for forgiveness. “Please don’t be angry with me, please. No one will ever understand me, and that’s okay because you can’t understand. I just want this suffering to end. I’m alive, but inside everything is dead,” he wrote, according to Times of Israel.

The post, coming just three days after the two-year anniversary of Mapal’s death, alarmed friends and Mapal’s sister, television presenter Maayan Adam, who helped organize searches for Shalev. Emergency services later discovered his body inside a car set ablaze on Route 2 near Netanya.

Israel Police confirmed that they have opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the 30-year-old’s death, Times of Israel reported. According to Ynet, Shalev was last seen purchasing a jerry can of gasoline on Friday evening. Friends described widespread concern for his safety, saying they “searched everywhere in the hope of finding him.”

Shalev is survived by his father and sister. His mother had died by suicide two weeks after October 7, Kan public broadcaster reported, also in a car fire.

On Saturday, Maayan Adam expressed hope that her sister and Shalev were reunited. “Roei was murdered on October 7 and died yesterday. I have no words and it will take time to find them. I hope these two kids are hugging and smiling right now,” she wrote, Times of Israel reported.

Mapal Adam, 25, was killed by terrorists at the Nova festival near Kibbutz Re’im. During the attack, she and Shalev hid under a truck and feigned death for hours until Mapal was fatally shot at close range. Shalev survived despite being shot in the back while shielding her, Times of Israel reported.

In the hours before her death, Mapal had texted her sister: “Don’t tell Mom, I’m scared… There’s a massacre, there’s a massacre… Bullets are hitting me in the head.” Shalev had called Maayan, assuring her he would protect Mapal. After the attack, Maayan reflected on Shalev’s bravery, saying he “assured me that she didn’t see the terrorists at all, that she looked at him and closed her eyes.”

The Nova Community Association described Shalev as “a pillar of the community, and his loss is unimaginable for us all,” Times of Israel reported. The organization praised his dedication as a basketball team captain and his support for friends and fellow community members during difficult times.

They urged continued attention to the mental toll on survivors and bereaved families, adding: “We have endured a lot of pain over these past two years, and we survived it together, and together we will overcome and endure this unimaginable moment of grief.”