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Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead at Washington DC Jewish museum Couple shot dead outside Jewish museum in Washington DC
(about 3 hours later)
Two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in downtown Washington DC by a man who police say shouted "free, free Palestine" after the attack. Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were a couple, who both worked for the Israeli Embassy
The victims, a young couple, were shot while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, DC police said, adding that the incident appears targeted. A couple described as being in the "prime of their lives" have been shot dead in Washington DC outside a Jewish museum, by a man who police say shouted "free, free Palestine" after the attack.
The shooting happened at 21:05 local time (01:05 GMT) in an area with numerous tourist sites, museums and government buildings, including the FBI's Washington field office. Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who both worked for the Israeli Embassy, were gunned down outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night.
After the suspect, who has been detained by authorities, opened fire, he walked inside the museum and was stopped by security, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said. Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, who police allege is the shooter, is in custody.
The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was seen pacing outside the museum before opening fire on a group of four - killing the couple, Chief Smith said at a news conference. The FBI says it is looking into "ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on bias-based crime or a hate crime".
LIVE: Follow breaking coverage of the DC shooting President Donald Trump has condemned the attack and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was "outraged by the horrifying antisemitic murder" of the victims.
Police "have not had any prior interactions" with the suspect, she added. Follow live coverage of the DC shooting
"We don't see anything in his background that would have placed him on our radar." The couple were leaving a networking event, organised by the American Jewish Committee, at the museum around 21:08 (local time) when a man opened fire with a handgun at a group of four people.
Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter shared at the conference that the couple killed had been planning to get engaged. The suspect then went inside the museum, where he was detained. Police said he chanted "free, free Palestine" while in custody.
Mr Leiter said the male victim had purchased a ring this week and had planned to propose on a trip they'd planned to Jerusalem. The victims' names have not been released.
"We heard gunshots and then a guy came in looking really distressed. We thought he needed help," eyewitness Katie Kalisher told the BBC, referring to the suspect."We heard gunshots and then a guy came in looking really distressed. We thought he needed help," eyewitness Katie Kalisher told the BBC, referring to the suspect.
US President Donald Trump suggested the killings were driven by antisemitism. Metropolitan Police Department chief Pamela Smith said officers "have not had any prior interactions" and did not see anything in his background "that would have placed him on our radar".
"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA," he wrote on the Truth Social platform. Mr Lischinsky had been planning to propose to his girlfriend, Miss Milgrim, next week, said the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, who was not at the event.
In a post on X, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said "we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice". "They were a beautiful couple," he told a press conference.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said security at Israeli embassies around the world would be stepped up following the shooting. The shooting happened in a downtown area of Washington DC that has numerous tourist sites, museums and government buildings
Writing on Truth Social, Trump said: "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."
Netanyahu said security at Israeli embassies around the world would be stepped up following the attack.
"My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer," he said."My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer," he said.
"We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the state of Israel.""We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the state of Israel."
The incident triggered a major police response and shut down several core streets in the city. The shooting, which happened in a downtown area of the city that has numerous tourist sites, museums and government buildings, triggered a major police response and shut down several main streets.
Israeli embassy spokesman Tal Naim Cohen confirmed that two staff members were shot "at close range".Israeli embassy spokesman Tal Naim Cohen confirmed that two staff members were shot "at close range".
The embassy had "full faith" that authorities would "protect Israel's representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States", he said.The embassy had "full faith" that authorities would "protect Israel's representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States", he said.
The Israeli ambassador was reportedly not at the museum event at the time of the shooting, US media reported. JoJo Kalin, a board member of the American Jewish Committee who helped organise the event, said she did not witness the shooting but felt a "sense of guilt" about what happened.
JoJo Kalin, a board member of the American Jewish Committee who helped organise the event, said she didn't witness the shooting but felt a "sense of guilt" about what happened.
"I'm not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. And that Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self-determination and [it is] just deeply ironic that that's what we were discussing," she said."I'm not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. And that Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self-determination and [it is] just deeply ironic that that's what we were discussing," she said.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi (right) and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter visited the site of the shooting US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter visited the site of the shooting
The DC campus of Georgetown University also was temporarily locked down, according to CBS. The event was billed as a networking opportunity to bring Jewish young professionals and the diplomatic community together. Its description said humanitarian aid organisers responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, including Gaza, were invited.
"When we went to leave the cops and security were downstairs and told us we can't leave," said one student, who was on lockdown in their building for over an hour. The Capital Jewish Museum, like many other Jewish institutions in the US, has struggled with security issues amid rising antisemitism.
The Capital Jewish Museum like many other Jewish institutions in the US has struggled with security issues amid rising antisemitism.
"Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due to some very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism," executive director Beatrice Gurwitz told NBC News in a separate news report before the attack on Wednesday."Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due to some very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism," executive director Beatrice Gurwitz told NBC News in a separate news report before the attack on Wednesday.
The museum recently received a grant to upgrade its security in part, she said, because of a new exhibit on LGBT pride.The museum recently received a grant to upgrade its security in part, she said, because of a new exhibit on LGBT pride.
"We recognise that there are threats associated with this as well," Ms Gurwitz said. "And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories."
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted to X to call the attack a "horrific act of terror that the people of Israel are waking up to this morning".