2 Israeli Embassy staff killed near Capital Jewish Museum in D.C., officials say
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The scene outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., early Thursday after a shooting that left two people dead. Photo: Alex Wroblewski/AFP via Getty Images
Two Israeli Embassy staff were fatally shot at close range while leaving an event Wednesday night at the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C., the embassy's spokesperson in Washington, Tal Naim Cohen, told Axios.
The big picture: The suspect, who was apprehended by a museum security guard minutes after the shooting, chanted "free Palestine" as he was arrested, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a press briefing.
- The victims were identified by the Israel Foreign Ministry on Thursday morning as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
- Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter called them a "beautiful couple" and said Lischinsky had "purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem."
- Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois and said they believe he acted alone.
The latest: Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the shooting scene Thursday and told reporters that the suspect "will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
- "No parents should have to be called and told that their children were violently murdered leaving a religious event at the Jewish Museum. That should never happen in this world and not in our country," she said.
- Bondi did not offer any updates on the case and would not confirm if the Justice Department would seek the death penalty.
What they're saying: President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke on Thursday, the prime minister's office said in a statement.
- Trump expressed "deep sorrow over the shocking murder in Washington of two Israeli embassy staff members," and Netanyahu thanked Trump for his efforts to combat antisemitism in the U.S., the statement said.
- Trump had previously offered condolences to the victims' families in a Truth Social post, saying "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA," he said.
- Netanyahu has ordered the strengthening of security at Israeli missions around the world and for state representatives in response to the shooting.
Details: Smith said police were alerted just after 9pm ET Wednesday about a shooting in the area around the museum in downtown D.C., which is near government buildings including the FBI's Washington Field Office and tourist attractions.
- "Prior to the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum," Smith said.
- Rodriquez was not previously known to the police, Smith said at the briefing.
- A LinkedIn page shows Rodriquez is an employee of American Osteopathic Information Association (AOIA). The company wrote in a statement that they are "shocked and saddened to learn that an AOIA employee has been arrested as a suspect in this horrific crime."
Zoom in: The FBI assisted on the scene and its deputy director Dan Bongino said on X early Thursday that the suspect was being interviewed by the Metropolitan Police Department with the Bureau's Joint Terrorism Task Force team while he, the U.S. Attorney's office and other officials were "reviewing the evidence to determine additional actions."
- He added, "Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence."
- D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the briefing, "We will not tolerate any acts of terrorism, and we're going to stand together as a community in the coming days and weeks to send a clear message that we will not tolerate antisemitism."
Zoom out: The American Jewish Committee was hosting at the museum the annual Young Diplomats Reception, which "brings together Jewish young professionals ... and the D.C. diplomatic community for an evening dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage," per a post by the Jewish advocacy group advertising the event.
Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.
