Two staff members of Israel’s embassy in the United States have been shot and killed in an attack outside a Jewish museum in the capital.
The deadly shooting occurred at about 9pm on Wednesday (01:00 GMT, Thursday) near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, according to authorities.
The Israeli foreign ministry named the two victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
Pamela A Smith, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said authorities had detained a single suspect over the shooting, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois.
“Prior to the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire, striking both of our decedents,” Smith said at a news conference.
Smith said Rodriguez chanted, “Free, free, Palestine,” while in custody.
Smith did not elaborate on a suspected motive for the attack.
Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters her administration would not tolerate “violence or hate in our city”.
“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 anti-Semitism,” Bowser said.
Reporting from Washington, DC, Al Jazeera’s Heidi Zhou-Castro said while Bowser reported that the suspect has been detained, she acknowledged that “this will likely frighten a lot of people”, who are concerned about the “growing anti-Semitism in the US”.
Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said the deceased were a “beautiful couple” that had been planning to get married.
“The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” Leiter said.
A German diplomatic source told AFP news agency that the male victim of the attack also held a German passport.
In a separate statement, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the shooting as a “heinous act”, while Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed his “shock”, describing the shooting as “treacherous” on his X account.
The American Jewish Committee, which had hosted an event at the museum, said it was “devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue”.
President Donald Trump also expressed condolences to the families of the victims and said the killings were “based obviously on antisemitism”.
“Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” Trump said on Truth Social. “Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
Later, at a Thursday news briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered another message from President Trump.
“President Trump is saddened and outraged over the brutal murder of two Israeli embassy staff here in Washington DC last night,” Leavitt told reporters, calling the victims “a beautiful young couple”.
Leavitt added that the Justice Department would prosecute the suspect “to the fullest extent of the law”.
She also pointed to Trump’s efforts against pro-Palestine anti-war protestors, particularly university students, as evidence of his commitment to ending anti-Jewish hate.
“The evil of anti-Semitism must be eradicated from our society,” Leavitt said. “Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump.”
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said federal authorities were investigating the attack and would bring its “depraved perpetrator” to justice.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador 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.
Israeli missions to increase security
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was shocked by the attack and has instructed Israeli missions around the world to beef up security.
Richard Weitz, a security expert and analyst based in the US capital, described the attack as a “well-planned assassination”.
“The gunman staked out the target and waited for an opportune time to attack as many Israeli diplomats as he could,” Weitz said.
“I am sure that people will be asking about flaws in security, they will certainly look for foreign connections, and the people who might have helped him,” he said. “But at present, we don’t see them.”
Weitz also pointed out that while high-profile diplomats often have security teams, low-level staffers are typically not assigned security personnel.
