Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed in front of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on Wednesday night.
Israel's Foreign Ministry identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter added that Lischinsky and Milgrim were in a relationship.
We are shocked and horrified this morning by the news of the brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy staff members in Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. May their memory be a blessing.We embrace the grieving families during this… pic.twitter.com/14f2AMvGIF
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) May 22, 2025
The embassy released a statement which read: "Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives," adding "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."
Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words… pic.twitter.com/2HytKDp8Fr
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) May 22, 2025
Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) stated that they are assessing the situation and deciding to raise level of vigilance and alertness around the embassy.
The suspect shouted "Free Palestine" while being arrested, Washington's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith announced, adding that the suspect was also seen pacing outside of the museum before the event took place.
"שחררו את פלסטין": מעצרו של המחבל שביצע את הפיגוע בוושינגטון | תיעוד@SuleimanMas1 https://t.co/7po94HD9yM pic.twitter.com/3dPRMgeVm2
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) May 22, 2025
MPD later identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, with MPD's chief commenting that Rodriguez was not known to the police before the incident. Earlier reports described him as "having a goatee, wearing a blue jacket and blue jeans."
The Assistant Director of the FBI's Washington field office, Steve Jensen, said in a press conference that authorities are investigating the motivation behind the shooting, whether it can be labeled a hate crime, and whether the attacker had ties to a terror organization.
Tal Naim, an embassy spokesperson, confirmed that the two were attending a Jewish cultural event at the museum when the shooting took place.
"We have full faith in law enforcement authorities on both the local and federal levels to apprehend the shooter and protect Israel’s representatives and Jewish communities throughout the United States," she added.
*Spokesperson at the Israeli embassy in Washington Tal Naim Cohen*:Two staff members of the Israeli embassy were shot this evening at close range while attending a Jewish event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.We have full faith in law enforcement authorities on…
— Tal Naim (@TalNaim_) May 22, 2025
During an interview with 103FM on Thursday morning, Naim commented that "We are simply shocked by the incident that happened here. It is important to say that Foreign Ministry envoys and diplomats are always threatened, and after October 7, even more so."
"The murder of a young couple who came to an event of a Jewish body in a Jewish museum – it is simply a very hard blow," she added.
When asked how an attacker managed to enter the event and shoot at will, she replied: "First of all, you have to be precise – he did not enter the event. He lurked outside, and when they came out, he shot them at close range. These are questions that need to be asked."
Naim also commented on life in Washington as an Israeli, stating: "For six months, we had dozens of people demonstrating with signs, calling us child murderers, pouring red water on us, which is like blood spilled in Gaza. This is the reality of embassy employees."
She then described the news that Americans are exposed to, saying that "an American citizen who turns on his television – and I'm not even talking about the networks, because that's much more hackneyed – sees shocking images from Gaza, and many of them are fake. He gets images of destruction, hunger, blaming IDF soldiers for all kinds of crimes – and that definitely affects public opinion here."
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force is currently investigating the incident. FBI Director Kash Patel added that his team has been briefed and is working with MPD to investigate.
What was the event where the shooting occurred?
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.
An online invitation to the event called it the Young Diplomats Reception, describing it as a bringing together of Jewish professionals between the ages of 22 and 45 and the Washington diplomatic community.
Despite the late hour, several people gathered at the scene of the shooting, including one who knelt on the ground at the intersection with an improvised Israeli flag draped over his shoulders.
Aaron Shemtov, who is studying at a rabbinical college in California, said he came to the museum to show support after hearing of the shooting.
"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, who is also the executive vice president of the Jewish group American Friends of Lubavitch.
Reuters contributed to this report.
This is a developing story.
