2 Israeli Embassy staffers killed in targeted shooting, suspect shouted 'free, free Palestine'
Two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed Wednesday night outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Law enforcement arrested a suspect shortly after the attack, which occurred during an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee.
Police say 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago opened fire on a group of four people outside the museum, striking two of them fatally at close range.
The Israeli Embassy identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a “young couple about to be engaged,” according to The Times of Israel.
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Both victims died at the scene.
Speaking at a news conference, Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said one of the victims had purchased a ring earlier in the week and planned to propose in Jerusalem.
The Israeli ambassador was not at the museum at the time of the shooting, according to embassy officials.
After the shooting, the suspect entered the museum, where he was quickly detained.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said at a press briefing around midnight that the suspect had been seen pacing outside the building before he drew a handgun and fired at 9:08 p.m.
According to police, Rodriguez indicated to museum security where he had discarded the weapon and reportedly chanted “Free, Free Palestine” while in custody. Authorities recovered the firearm soon after.
The embassy said the shooting occurred while they were participating in a gathering organized by the American Jewish Committee.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is leading the investigation alongside the Metropolitan Police. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said authorities were “actively investigating and working to get more information.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro arrived at the scene shortly after the attack. Bondi said she had multiple conversations with President Donald Trump throughout the evening.
President Trump responded to the attack on social media, calling the killings “obviously based on antisemitism” adding, “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
Israeli officials condemned the shooting.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the shooting “a heinous antisemitic murderer.”
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. The blood libels against Israel are rising in blood and must be fought to the bitter end,” he said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said the act was driven by antisemitism and called it “despicable.” He added that the United States and Israel would “stand united in defense of our people and our shared values.”
Herzog also urged the public and political leaders to avoid politicizing the fatal shooting.
In a post on social media, Herzog said the suspect had committed “a criminal act of terror out of antisemitism and deep hatred,” and stressed that Israeli domestic politics held no relevance in this context. Calling the morning “sad and difficult,” Herzog appealed for restraint, urging citizens and politicians to “do only what contributes to and strengthens the State of Israel and supports Jewish communities around the world.”
Ambassador Danny Danon, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, denounced the shooting as a “depraved act of antisemitic terrorism.” He said the attack crossed a red line and expressed confidence in U.S. authorities to pursue the case fully.
The American Jewish Committee expressed its grief. CEO Ted Deutch said the organization was “devastated” and that its “attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”
The Capital Jewish Museum reopened earlier this year and has been a venue for cultural and educational events on Jewish American history.
