The FBI said it is investigating the killings as an ‘act of terror.’
Two members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were fatally shot just after 9 p.m. on May 21 while leaving an event at a Jewish museum. According to police, one suspect has been detained.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, who served as a research assistant, and Sarah Milgrim, who coordinated trips and missions for Israel. The pair were engaged and about to get married next week in Jerusalem, according to Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter.
Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was arrested in connection with the shooting, Pamela Smith, chief of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, said at a news conference within a few hours of the shooting. The suspect is said to have approached a group of four people and opened fire.
Before the shooting, Rodriguez, who had no previous contact with police, was allegedly spotted pacing outside the museum. Smith said Rodriguez yelled, “Free, free Palestine,” as he was being detained.
One eyewitness, Yoni Kalin, told Fox 5 that security guards initially believed that the shooting suspect was a victim. He said the suspect asked someone to call the police and later admitted to law enforcement that he was involved in the shooting.
Federal Response
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media platform X that the suspect is being interviewed by FBI agents as well as local police.
Bongino said multiple other federal offices are involved in the investigation, which took place just a short distance from the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
A follow-up post from the deputy director called the shooting an “act of terror” that “has the full attention of your FBI.”
“Targeted acts of anti-Semitic violence are typically carried out by spineless, gutless cowards,“ Bongino wrote. ”And the penalties will be harsh as we tighten up this investigation and run down any additional leads.”
FBI Director Kash Patel said he and his team have been briefed on the shooting and are “working with [the Metropolitan Police Department] to respond and learn more.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned the shooting. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice,” she wrote in a May 21 X post.
Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote in a May 21 post on X that she went to the scene of the crime, along with U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
President Donald Trump addressed the shootings late on the same evening in a post on Truth Social, saying, “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! God Bless You ALL!”
Response From Israeli Officials
The Embassy of Israel to the United States posted a photo of the engaged couple within a few hours of the shooting, saying, “The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder.”
The embassy called the shooting the work of a terrorist and said: “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives.”
Danny Danon, permanent representative of Israel to the United Nations, called the shooting a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
“Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line,“ Danon said in a post on X. ”We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives—everywhere in the world.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was “devastated” by the shooting.
“This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. … I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff,” Herzog wrote in a May 21 X post.
“We stand with the Jewish community in DC and across the US. America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Recent Tensions
Tensions between Israel and those in and around the Gaza Strip have been on the rise since Israel launched a new campaign to seize “operational control” of the territory amid the war with the Hamas terrorist group.
The conflict began on Oct. 7, 2023, with an attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists. That event alone resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of about 250 hostages.
The event at which the May 21 shooting took place was hosted by the American Jewish Committee.
“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” the advocacy organization’s CEO, Ted Deutch, said in a statement. “At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”
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