Two Israeli Embassy staffers were gunned down Wednesday night by a suspect who shouted “Free, Free Palestine” after being arrested inside the Capital Jewish Museum in the District of Columbia, police said.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said officers took Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, into custody following the deadly shooting around 9:10 p.m. in the 500 block of 3rd Street Northwest.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, The Associated Press said.
Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said they were a “beautiful couple” who were days away from getting engaged in Jerusalem.
“The horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city and in our country, and I want to be clear that we will not tolerate violence or hate in our city,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said. “We will not tolerate the acts of terrorism, and we’re going to stand together as a community in the coming days and weeks to send a clear message that we will not tolerate antisemitism.”
Authorities did not announce the charges against Mr. Rodriguez during a press conference late Wednesday.
Steven Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said the federal investigators are looking into potential terrorism and hate crime offenses for the suspect.
Officials said the suspect was seen pacing back and forth outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which was hosting an event, just prior to the shooting.
Chief Smith said the suspect approached a group of four people, pulled out a handgun and opened fire on the victims.
He then tossed the gun and went inside the museum, police said, where he was detained by the event security. The suspect implied he carried out the shooting and chanted “Free, Free Palestine” shortly afterward.
Officials said the man and the woman died at the scene.
“We won’t be afraid together. We’ll stand. We’re going to overcome the moral depravity of people who think that they’re going to achieve political gains through murder,” Mr. Leiter said.
The Israeli ambassador added that President Trump called him to say his administration is going to do everything it can to fight the antisemitism and hatred being directed toward Israel.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, now!” Trump wrote on Truth Social after the shooting. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that he was “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting, according to AP.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,” he said in a statement.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said on X that the shooting was a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
“Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line.”
