FBI agents cordon off the scene outside the Capital Jewish Museum following a shooting that left two people dead, in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025. Credit – Alex Wroblewski—AFP/Getty Images
Two Israeli embassy employees were killed in a shooting Wednesday evening outside an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., just about a mile from the White House and U.S. Capitol.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
At about midnight local time, about three hours after the shooting, officials offered preliminary information about the attack, including details about the victims; the suspect, who has been detained; and ongoing investigations. There is no active threat, officials said.
Here’s what we know so far.
Who were the victims?
The shooting, which took place in the area of 3rd and F Street NW, killed a man and a woman, who have been identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
Before the victims were named, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that they were “Israeli Embassy staff.” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., said at the news briefing that the victims were a young couple about to be engaged who were attending the event as guests.
“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” the Israel Embassy to the U.S. posted on X, alongside a photo of the couple. “This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
What do we know about the suspect?
Police believe the shooting was committed by a single suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, D.C. police chief Pamela A. Smith said at the briefing.
The suspect was seen pacing back and forth outside the museum building before approaching a group of four people, producing a handgun and opening fire, according to Smith. After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum and, according to an eyewitness who spoke to CNN, initially claimed to be a witness before admitting that he was the shooter. According to officials, Rodriguez chanted “Free, free Palestine,” before being detained by event security, which was also captured on video shared on social media. Rodriguez is now in police custody.
Smith would not comment on Rodriguez’s motive amid ongoing investigation but said that Rodriguez was not on police’s radar before the attack.
How has Israel reacted?
“I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C.,” Israel’s President Isaac Herzog posted on X. “This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured. I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff. We stand with the Jewish community in D.C. and across the U.S. America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon described the shooting as “a depraved act of antisemitic terrorism” in a post on X. “We are confident that the U.S. authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,” Danon added. “Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives—everywhere in the world.”
“We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. Blood libels against Israel have a cost in blood and must be fought to the utmost,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “My heart grieves for the families of the young beloveds, whose lives were cut short in a moment by an abhorrent antisemitic murderer,” he added. Netanyahu ordered security to be beefed up at Israeli diplomatic missions around the world and for Israeli representatives, according to the statement.
“Israeli diplomats and representatives around the world stand on the frontlines of Israel’s diplomatic efforts—defending the country with their very lives,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X. We will not be deterred by terror. We will continue our mission across the globe, with unwavering commitment to represent Israel with pride.”
“The people of Israel are resilient people, the people of the United States of America are resilient people. Together we won’t be afraid,” Leiter said earlier at the midnight briefing. “Together, we’ll stand and we’re going to overcome the moral depravity of people who think that they’re going to achieve political gains through murder.”
How has the U.S. responded?
Leiter said at the briefing that he had spoken on the phone with Trump, who assured him “his Administration is going to do everything they can possibly do to fight and end antisemitism and the hatred that’s being directed and the demonization and delegitimization of the state of Israel.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she visited the scene of the shooting. “Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” Bondi posted on X. Bondi said at the briefing that she had also spoken to Trump multiple times and that “his prayers are with all of us.”
Bondi added that local, state and federal agencies “will be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight, our Jewish community.”
“We will follow the facts, we will follow the law, and this defendant charged will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”
What’s the status of the investigation?
Steve Jensen, the assistant director in charge at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said at the briefing that the FBI is looking into “ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate crime.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino later posted on X that there are “early indicators” that the shooting was “an act of targeted violence.”
All homicides in D.C. are prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney for D.C., a role held since last week by Trump appointee former judge and Fox News host Jeanine Pirro.
Smith said the police had not received any intelligence prior to the shooting indicating any type of impending terrorist act or hate crime in D.C.
“We have a long history and a lot of practice in our city of working with Jewish organizations around safety and around protection, and we watch global events, national events and local events,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the briefing. “Our organizations work directly with MPD and MPD responds with additional resources, so I know the chief will spend tonight and tomorrow, and we’ll be talking to all of our organizations, from schools to synagogues to other organizations.”
“There is no active threat in our community,” Bowser added. “What I do know is that the horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city, and in our country. I want to be clear that we will not tolerate this violence or hate.”
What’s the wider global context?
The shooting comes amid rising tensions over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza, which has left an estimated at least 50,000 Palestinians dead and millions more displaced since Oct. 7, 2023. Pro-Palestinian activists and several humanitarian groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the U.N., have described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide.” This week, international concerns have heightened over food insecurity in Gaza, and international condemnation of Israel has increased, particularly after Israel Defense Forces fired “warning shots” near a foreign diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank.
The D.C. shooting also occurred at a time when the Trump Administration has ramped up its crackdown on antisemitism across the country, though some have criticized the effort as politicized.
Both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes in 42 major U.S. cities rose last year, according to preliminary data collected by California State University, San Bernardino, professor Brian Levin, who founded the university’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 12% and anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 18% from 2023 to 2024, against a general decline of hate crimes more broadly.
It’s not the first time that the Israel embassy in D.C. has been connected to deadly action related to the war in Gaza. In February last year, Aaron Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, set himself on fire outside the embassy in an apparent act of protest.
What was the event where the attack took place?
The AJC’s annual “Young Diplomats reception” was billed as an opportunity to bring together Jewish young professionals as well as the D.C. diplomatic community “for an evening dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage.” The event was publicly advertised on the AJC’s website, though the location was only given to registered attendees.
Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum became one of several nonprofit beneficiaries in D.C. of a $500,000 grant program to increase its security. The museum was awarded around $30,000 in the grant tied to security concerns around a new temporary LGBTQ+ exhibit.
This year’s theme of the “Young Diplomats reception” was “turning pain into purpose,” and the AJC also invited members of non-governmental organizations Multifaith Alliance and IsraAID that are responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, according to the event invitation.
“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement. “At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.”
It’s “deeply ironic,” organizer Jojo Kalin told the BBC, “that what we were discussing was bridge building and then we were all hit over the head with such hatred.” She added: “I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. … Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self determination.”
Contact us at [email protected].
The post Israeli Embassy Staff Killed in D.C. Shooting: Everything to Know appeared first on Time.
