In a photo taken on Friday, 16-year-old Mohammed Shaar is seen in a red hoodie hanging out with his friends in downtown Beirut. The group was celebrating the end of their school semester, The Associated Press reports.
Moments later, Shaar is seen lying on the ground, mortally wounded from shrapnel after a car bomb struck the city. Shaar died the next day, and he was among seven dead, including a prominent politician.
The target of the car bomb was former Finance Minister Mohammed Chatah, who has been critical of Syria and Hezbollah.
The before-and-after photo of Shaar and his friends was widely circulated on the internet after the attack, making the rounds on social media and appearing on Reddit's front page.
According to the AP, Shaar has since become "a symbol of a population held ransom by the country's widening violence."
Hundreds of Shaar's classmates marched to where the bombing took place today, carrying signs that said "We are all Mohammed."
Hundreds also attended his memorial service this morning, which turned into a protest against Hezbollah. Mourners trapped Mufti Mohammed Qabani, the country's top Sunni cleric who is believed to be a sympathizer, inside the mosque.
