Israeli teenager, Leanne Nassar begged her parents to let her
go to Istanbul for New Year's Eve , but her trip ended in
tragedy when a terrorist stormed the Reina night club and
killed 39, leaving dozens injured.
Nasser, 18, from Tira, an Arab town in central Israel, had big
plans for the future after finishing high school in June. She
worked at a dental clinic and was saving to buy a car. She
wanted to be a dentist one day. But first was New Year's Eve
and celebrating the start of 2017. She flew to Turkey from
Israel on Dec. 30 with two friends, Roa Mansour and Alaa
Abdul Hai, to celebrate New Year's Eve.
According to CNN, the four young women made their way to
the Reina restaurant on the Bosporus in Istanbul. A few hours
before midnight, she posted a picture to Snapchat. In it, she
flashed a half-smile, a floral crown atop her long, dark hair.
Her brown eyes looked straight at the camera.
Her father had refused because he was worried Istanbul
wasn't safe and he wanted her to stay home. Despondent,
she turned to her aunt, Layal Masarweh, who intervened on
her behalf.
"Her father was totally against that," Masarweh said.
"He was saying that Istanbul is too dangerous and
that she should not go at all. But she insisted, saying
that nothing will happen to her."
Masarweh now says she cannot forgive herself for what
happened to her niece, who had aspirations of becoming a
dentist.
"I wish I was with her to defend her or do anything to
save her life. I wish they took my soul and gave it to
her," she said.
Layan’s funeral will hold today, Tuesday, January. Meanwhile,
her three friends were found -- two were uninjured. One was
in the hospital, having sustained moderate injuries in the
attack, but she was in stable condition and was expected to
recover.
More photos below...
