Two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in what FBI Director Kash Patel described as an act of “targeted anti-Semitic violence.”
The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, shouted “Free, free Palestine” after his arrest, police said, prompting heightened security at Israeli missions worldwide and widespread condemnation from U.S. and Israeli officials.
The victims, Yaron Lischinsky, 30, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, an American from Overland Park, Kansas, were a couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S.
Lischinsky, a research assistant in the embassy’s political department, had recently purchased an engagement ring and planned to propose to Milgrim in Jerusalem the following week, Leiter said.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said Rodriguez was observed “pacing back and forth” outside the museum before approaching a group of four people, producing a handgun, and opening fire, killing Lischinsky and Milgrim. After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum, appearing distressed, and was detained by event security.
Rodriguez, who had no prior known encounters with law enforcement, is expected to face hate crime and other federal charges, with an initial court appearance scheduled for Thursday, according to sources.
“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” said Ted Deutch, AJC’s chief executive, per the Associated Press. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”
Deutch described Milgrim as “warm and compassionate, committed to peacebuilding and passionate about sustainability and people-to-people relations” and noted Lischinsky’s excitement about returning to Israel for the Jewish holiday of Shavuot.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed shock, stating, “We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel.”
He ordered enhanced security at Israeli diplomatic missions globally and spoke with the victims’ families, sharing “their deep sorrow, together with the entire Jewish people,” his office said, per CNN.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday, vowing that the Justice Department, led by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, would prosecute the case “to the fullest extent of the law.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino called the shooting “an act of terror” in a social media post, noting that Rodriguez was being interviewed by D.C. police and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Last night’s act of terror has the full attention of your FBI. Targeted acts of anti-Semitic violence are typically carried out by spineless, gutless cowards. And the penalties will be harsh as we tighten up this investigation and run down any additional leads. I should have…
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) May 22, 2025
The FBI is investigating a letter posted to an X account linked to Rodriguez, which expressed outrage over Israel’s actions in Gaza and advocated for “armed action” as a form of protest. The letter, posted around 10 p.m. ET Wednesday, is under review for authenticity, Bongino added.
The attack occurred amid heightened tensions over Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, ignited by Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people and abducted 250 hostages.
Witness Yoni Kalin, who was inside the museum, said the AJC event focused on humanitarian aid for Gaza and fostering dialogue among Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said, per AP. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”
Kalin noted that Rodriguez entered the museum after the shooting, where attendees, unaware he was the suspect, offered him water. Rodriguez then pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,” when police arrived.
The shooting has no known connection to a separate incident Thursday morning in McLean, Virginia, where a woman was shot outside the CIA headquarters, as reported previously by The Dallas Express.