Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night. The suspect, apprehended at the scene, was heard shouting “Free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody, according to officials. The incident occurred around 9 p.m., approximately five miles from the embassy, as the couple was leaving an event at the museum.
The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old resident of Chicago, was arrested inside the museum shortly after the shooting. Prior to the incident, he was observed pacing outside the museum and brandishing a handgun in front of a group of people before opening fire, according to DC Metro Police Chief Pamela Smith.
The victims, identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were embassy staffers who were planning to get engaged. The boyfriend had purchased a ring and intended to propose to his girlfriend in Jerusalem the following week, according to Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter. The Israeli Embassy confirmed that the victims were shot at close range.
Leiter expressed his grief and resolve, stating, “We are a resilient people. We will confront this moral depravity without fear and with determination, and now we’ll turn to taking care of the families of these two victims.”
The shooting sparked widespread condemnation and expressions of sympathy. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser offered condolences to the victims’ loved ones and the museum staff, vowing that the city would not tolerate acts of terrorism or antisemitism. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, labeled the shooting as an act of anti-Semitic terrorism, asserting that such attacks on diplomats and the Jewish community crossed a red line.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog expressed his devastation over the incident, describing it as a despicable act of hatred and antisemitism. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is currently investigating the incident, which took place near the FBI field office and the US Attorney’s Office.
President Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, US Attorney General Pam Bondi, and US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro all condemned the shooting and offered their condolences to the victims’ families. Bondi also spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lamented the tragic cost of antisemitism and incitement against Israel.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to bring the shooter to justice, stating that the department was actively investigating the incident. The shooting comes amid a rise in antisemitism following Hamas’ attack on Israel in October 2023.