A gunman identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez reportedly shouting “Free Palestine” fatally shot two Israeli embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on Wednesday night, prompting global condemnation and heightened security measures.
US authorities confirmed that the victims — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim — were both staffers at Israel’s embassy. The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the pair were a couple who had planned to get engaged next week in Jerusalem.
The suspect, who is from Chicago, was apprehended shortly after the shooting. Police said he was seen pacing outside the museum before approaching a group of four people, drawing a handgun, and opening fire. He then entered the museum and was detained by security, later directing police to where he had discarded the weapon.
Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith stated that the attack was carried out by a lone suspect, and confirmed that both victims were found unresponsive at the scene despite life-saving attempts.
The fatal shooting occurred during a social event hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC), aimed at young Jewish professionals and diplomats. The AJC expressed devastation, calling the act a likely antisemitic attack and urging an end to the hatred and violence.
The incident occurred near the US Capitol, just over a mile from the White House. Emergency services remained at the cordoned-off scene into the early hours of Thursday.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attack, calling it a “despicable antisemitic murder,” and announced increased security for Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide. “We are witnessing the devastating consequences of antisemitism and the inflammatory rhetoric directed at Israel,” he said.
President Donald Trump also weighed in, calling the killings an “obvious act of antisemitism” and demanding an end to such hatred. “Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA,” he wrote on social media.
Israel’s Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, described the victims as a “beautiful couple” and said he had spoken with Trump, who pledged full support in the fight against antisemitism. “We will stand firm and confront this moral depravity with courage and determination,” Leiter said.
International leaders from the UK, France, Germany and other countries issued statements condemning the attack, which has been widely seen as a targeted act of hate during rising global tensions related to the Middle East.
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged the community’s fear and grief, pledging zero tolerance for violence or antisemitism. “We must send a strong message that this kind of hate has no place in our city or our country,” she said.
