As police mounted a massive manhunt for the masked man who allegedly killed 2 gay youth in Tel Aviv, the gay community rallied against Saturday's attack.

Initial reports suggested 3 teens were left dead and 10 wounded when a masked, lone gunman stormed the Tel Aviv Gay and Lesbian Association building and sprayed automatic fire in a basement room as a support group for gay teenagers assembled.

The AP reported Sunday that only 2 people died in the incident. One of the dead was a 26-year-old man who was a counselor at the center, the other was a 16-year-old girl attending the support group. Eleven people were wounded in the attack, four seriously.

“We'll bring him to justice and exercise the full extent of the law against him,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told lawmakers.

As the police hunted for the killer and politicians vowed justice, the gay community turned out en masse to condemn the killings. Within hours of the attack, hundreds of Israelis joined a rally outside the crime scene. On Sunday, thousands more took to the streets in impromptu marches against homophobia and vigils to remember the dead and the wounded.

Politicians came out to speak to the crowds. Knesset Member Sheily Yacimovich said: “A man doesn't just get up one day and shoot for no reason. Someone influenced him.”

Openly gay Knesset Member Nitzan Horowitz added: “The heart refuses to accept what occurred just 50 meters from here in that humble basement apartment. Whatever the shooter's motives were, this was a hate crime.”

Perhaps the most stirring speech came from Kadima Party Leader Tzipi Livni who said: “I came here to show my support for those who live in the proud gay community and are grieving their dead. I hope that this terrible day will also give you strength and mark a turning point. This day should give children the strength to tell their parents 'I'm gay'. This day should give parents the strength to love their children for who they are. This day should give the strength to make a change within Israeli society, so that it will be proud of its gay community.”

Unlike its Jerusalem counterpart, Tel Aviv is a liberal city that boasts a thriving gay community. City Councillor Yaniv Weizman told the BBC that the city is the heart of the gay and lesbian community in Israel.

Gay activists blamed the anti-gay rhetoric of ultra-Orthodox Jewish leaders for inciting the attack. Conservative Jews, especially in Jerusalem, condemn being gay and protest the city's annual Gay Pride parade.

“Beyond the pain, the frustration and the anger, we are facing a situation in which the incitement to hate creates an environment that allows this to happen,” gay rights activist Mike Hamel told the AP.