Two staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. were fatally shot on Wednesday evening after leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.
The police report that the suspect chanted “Free Palestine” following his arrest. Prior to the shooting, bystanders had observed the suspect pacing outside the museum.
Who are the victims?
The police identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli man, and Sarah Milgrim, an American woman.
The Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, told the media that Lischinsky had purchased a ring earler in the week, intending to propose to Milgrim, with whom he was in a romantic relationship.
“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” said Ted Deutch, the chief executive of the American Jewish Committee, who hosted the event on Wednesday evening.
“Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing, and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”
Milgrim and Lischinsky had been looking forward not only to their engagement, but to visiting Jerusalem in the near future to see Lischinsky’s family.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement calling the shooting the “terrible price of anti-Semitism and the wild incitement against the state of Israel.”
“My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were suddenly cut short by a vile antisemitic murderer,” he said, according to a translation.
Who is the suspect?
Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, a Chicago native, and believe that he acted alone. As of Thursday, he is in custody while the police comb his apartment and his previous writings, searching for motivation.
Witness Katie Kalisher, who attended the museum on Wednesday night, said Rodriguez entered the museum right after gunshots rang out, appearing distressed and asking that the police be called.
“I’m like, ‘so, do you like this museum?’ And he’s like, kind of playing dumb with me. He’s like, ‘oh, what kind of museum is this?’ And I’m like ‘it’s a Jewish museum. He asks ‘Do you think that is why they did it?’ in reference to gunshots we had heard. And I was like, ‘yeah maybe, I don’t know but I don’t think so, I hope not,’” Kalisher said.
“And that is when he reaches into his bag and pulls out a kaffiyeh and says to me, ‘I did it. I did this for Gaza.’ And then he starts shouting ‘Free, Free Palestine!’ and the police show up and arrest him,” Kalisher told Fox News.
“This event was about humanitarian aid,” she added. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”
Rodriguez was most recently employed by the American Osteopathic Association, which has already released a statement expressing sorrow for the incident.
Apart from the shooting, Rodriguez has not been publicly linked to any anti-Israel causes or organizations.
What happens next?
The shooting comes amid a rising tide of in American antisemitism. College administrators have been accused of discrimination towards Israeli or Jewish students. Since Hamas launched its war with Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, students have marched and rioted in support of Palestine.
The Anti-Defamation League reported there were over 10,000 antisemitic incidents in the U.S. in the year following the Oct. 7 attacks, the highest ever recorded, and a 200% increase over the year prior.
American officials, including President Donald Trump and FBI Director Kash Patel, have promised to ensure that the shooter receives full justice and to combat surging antisemitism.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen!” Trump posted to Truth Social.
Jeanine Pirro, the newly-appointed interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., will prosecute the case.
