Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in the United States were shot and killed Wednesday night outside a Jewish museum event in the nation’s capital. The attacker, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodríguez of Chicago, was apprehended at the scene after shouting, “Free, free Palestine!” according to local authorities.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect approached a group of four people after the event and opened fire. After the shooting, Rodríguez briefly entered the museum, where he was subdued by event security personnel.
Smith noted that the suspect had been seen pacing in front of the museum prior to the attack. Upon arrest, he shouted pro-Palestinian slogans, though authorities assured the public that there is no ongoing threat to the community.
The shocking incident has prompted Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide to increase their security measures. It comes amid a renewed Israeli military offensive in Gaza as part of its ongoing war with Hamas, which has inflamed tensions both in the Middle East and internationally.
Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Yechiel Leiter, revealed that the victims were a young couple planning to get engaged. “He had just bought a ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem,” he said.
Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog confirmed to Israel’s Army Radio that Lischinsky was an Israeli national, while Milgrim was an American employee of the embassy.
U.S. President Donald Trump reacted on social media early Thursday, condemning the attack as a hate crime. “These horrific murders in Washington, D.C., clearly driven by antisemitism, must end NOW! Hatred and extremism have no place in America,” he wrote.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the scene accompanied by former judge Jeanine Pirro, now a federal prosecutor in Washington, whose office will handle the case. A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Bondi had informed him that Trump was personally involved in the handling of the incident and that the U.S. would ensure the perpetrator faces justice.
It remains unclear whether Rodríguez has legal representation. A phone number listed in public records rang unanswered.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted on social media that “early indications suggest this was a targeted act of violence.” Meanwhile, satellite news channel Al Jazeera aired a cellphone video in a continuous loop that appeared to show the suspect—dressed in a suit jacket and slacks—being led away in handcuffs after the attack.
The shooting comes against the backdrop of a deepening international crisis. The conflict between Israel and Hamas escalated sharply after October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants crossed from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people and taking approximately 250 hostages.
Since then, Israel’s devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people—mostly women and children, according to local health officials, whose figures do not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The fighting has displaced roughly 90% of the territory’s two million residents, triggered a hunger crisis, and destroyed vast portions of Gaza’s urban landscape.
