Two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead in central Washington, lone suspect held

Two Israeli embassy staffers committed to Israel-Palestinian dialogue and about to get engaged, were killed by a lone gunman in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night, and a suspect who chanted pro-Palestine slogans is in custody, officials said.

The two were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, about 1.3 miles (2km) from the White House.

Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said a man shot at a group of four people with a handgun, hitting both the victims. He was seen pacing outside the museum prior to the shooting.

The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were locally employed staff, the Israeli foreign ministry said. They were both trying to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, separate advocacy groups each belonged to said.

Smith said the single suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine", after being taken into custody by event security having entered the museum.

"Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense," she said, adding that he had had no previous contact with police.

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US, told reporters the young man killed had "purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem".

President Donald Trump condemned the shooting. "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he said in a message on Truth Social. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his heart ached for the families of the victims, "whose lives were cut short in a moment by an abhorrent antisemitic murderer".

"We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel," he said on X, adding that both "must be fought to the utmost."

Security would be stepped up at Israeli embassies around the world, he said.

POLITICAL BACKDROP

The shootings could result in Netanyahu and his far-right partners taking a harder line in the conflict in Gaza, as well as generate sympathy for Israel from Western allies who have been piling pressure on him to ease the aid blockade in the war-ravaged territory.

Wednesday's shooting is also certain to further convulse the US debate over the war in Gaza, which has polarized steadfast supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.

Conservative Israel supporters led by Trump have branded pro-Palestinian demonstrators as antisemitic.

Trump has cut off funding to elite US universities that he says have permitted antisemitic demonstrations, and his administration has detained foreign student demonstrators without charges.

Deputy FBI Director Don Bongino said the suspect was being interviewed by the police and the FBI.

"Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence," he said in a post on X. "Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads."

The event at the Capital Jewish Museum was held by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that supports Israel and confronts antisemitism, according to its website.

Called the Young Diplomats Reception, an online invitation described it as bringing together Jewish professionals between the ages of 22 and 45 and the Washington diplomatic community.

The German-Israeli Society said Lischinsky had grown up in Bavaria and spoke fluent German.

"We remember him as an open-minded, intelligent and deeply committed person whose interest in German-Israeli relations and ways to achieve peaceful coexistence in the Middle East brightened the environment around him," said the society's president, Volker Beck.

Tech2Peace, an advocacy group training young Palestinians and Israelis and promoting dialogue between them, said Milgrim was an active volunteer who "brought people together with empathy and purpose".

"Her dedication to building a better future was evident in everything she did," it said. "Her voice and spirit will be profoundly missed."

Hours after the shooting, several people gathered at the scene, in the area of 3rd and F Streets, including one who knelt on the ground at the intersection with a modified Israeli flag draped over his shoulders.

'WE STAND STRONG'

Aaron Shemtov, who is studying at a rabbinical college in California, said he came to show support.

"When a member of the community gets murdered and gets killed for who he is, we stand proud, we stand strong, and we never give up," Shemtov said.

Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who was also at the scene, said the couple had attended his Washington synagogue occasionally.

"It's very sad to see that instead of these people coming to the ultimate celebration of their life - they were about to get engaged - they get shot dead in the street just because of who they are," said the rabbi.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the shooting was a direct result of "toxic antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world" since the attack on Israel by Hamas militants in October 2023 that prompted the Israeli military campaign in Gaza.

Rights advocates have noted both rising antisemitism and anti-Arab hate in the US since then.

Such incidents have included an unsuccessful plot to attack a New York Jewish center, an arson attack on Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro's residence and attacks on Florida businesses perceived as pro-Israel.

Incidents linked to anti-Palestinian prejudice have included the fatal stabbing of a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy in Illinois, the attempted drowning of a 3-year-old Palestinian American girl in Texas, a New York City assault by a pro-Israeli mob that chanted "Death to Arabs" and a violent mob attack on pro-Palestinian protesters in California.