Two Israeli Embassy employees — together with an American — have been shot and killed Wednesday evening as they left the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., officers mentioned. A suspect is in custody.
The victims have been recognized as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. Regulation enforcement officers described the attack as “focused” and mentioned the suspect shouted “Free Palestine” as he was being detained. The capturing was being investigated as a hate crime, a legislation enforcement supply mentioned.
Milgrim was from Kansas. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog mentioned. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., advised reporters they have been on the verge of getting engaged.
“The younger man bought a hoop this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend subsequent week in Jerusalem,” Leiter mentioned. “They have been an attractive couple who got here to take pleasure in a night in Washington’s cultural heart.”
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela A. Smith mentioned the capturing was reported at 9:08 p.m. native time and occurred exterior the museum, which is positioned close to an FBI area workplace and is within the coronary heart of the U.S. capital. Responding officers discovered the victims with gunshot wounds, unconscious and never respiratory, the D.C. Fireplace and Emergency Medical Companies Division advised CBS Information.
IsraelinUSA /Twitter/Anadolu through Getty Photographs 
“Early indicators are that that is an act of focused violence,” FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media.
The suspect, recognized as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was initially “noticed pacing backwards and forwards exterior of the museum” earlier than he approached a bunch of 4 individuals, “produced a handgun,” and shot the 2 victims, Smith mentioned at a late-night information convention.
The suspect entered the museum instantly following the capturing and was arrested by museum safety, the police chief reported. “The suspect recognized the place he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered,” Smith mentioned, including that he “implied that he dedicated the offense.”
A lady who encountered the suspect after the capturing mentioned he reached into his bag, pulled out a keffiyeh and mentioned, “I did it. I did it for Gaza,” earlier than he shouted, “Free Palestine.”
CBS Information recognized an account on social platform X that belongs to the suspect and has a historical past of posts about pro-Palestinian activism and frustration with media protection of the Israel-Hamas struggle, in addition to inflammatory posts about Israel and a dialogue of violence for political achieve.
Rodriguez did not pop up on an preliminary search of crime databases and wasn’t on the radar of legislation enforcement companies, in response to the Metropolitan Police Division. The police and the FBI have been combing by way of his social media, and digital gadgets belonging to the suspect have been seized, a legislation enforcement supply mentioned. A big legislation enforcement presence blocked off roads in Chicago’s Albany Park neighborhood Thursday as officers executed a search believed to be related to the capturing, CBS News Chicago reported.
The suspect was anticipated to be in courtroom Thursday, in response to a Justice Division supply, and make his preliminary look within the native courtroom system. The case is anticipated to ultimately head to federal courtroom, the supply mentioned.
“We’re shocked and horrified this morning by the information of the brutal terrorist assault that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy workers members in Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. Could their reminiscence be a blessing,” the Israeli International Ministry mentioned in a post on social media.
Robert Milgrim mentioned that his daughter began working for the embassy in November 2023 after incomes a bachelor’s diploma at Kansas College and two grasp’s levels, one at American College in Washington, D.C., and the opposite on the United Nations for Peace College in Costa Rica. Her levels targeted on worldwide research and coverage, Robert Milgrim mentioned. She had been employed on the Israeli Embassy earlier than the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack that left 1,200 Israelis useless and touched off the struggle in Gaza, he mentioned.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned President Trump is “saddened and outraged” over the deaths of Lischinsky and Milgrim, and the Justice Division will probably be prosecuting their killer “to the fullest extent of the legislation.”
Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., mentioned he spoke to Mr. Trump by telephone following the capturing, as did U.S. Lawyer Normal Pam Bondi, who attended the information convention and earlier mentioned that she responded to the scene of the capturing.
“I spoke to the president of the USA a number of instances tonight,” Bondi mentioned. “On behalf of the president, his prayers are with all of us, the entire Jewish group, all of us in Washington, D.C.”
Mr. Trump later wrote on Truth Social: “These horrible D.C. killings, primarily based clearly on antisemitism, should finish, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism don’t have any place within the USA. Condolences to the households of the victims. So unhappy that things like this could occur! God Bless You ALL!”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned in an announcement that he is “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” capturing. He mentioned he instructed Israeli missions world wide to beef up safety.
“We’re witnessing the horrible value of anti-Semitism and the wild incitement in opposition to the State of Israel,” Netanyahu continued.
In an announcement, Israeli President Isaac Herzog known as the capturing a “despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism,” including, “America and Israel will stand united in protection of our individuals and our shared values. Terror and hate is not going to break us.”
Different world leaders additionally launched statements condemning the attack.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser mentioned D.C. Metropolitan Police and the FBI will probably be investigating.
“We is not going to tolerate antisemitism,” Bowser mentioned. She mentioned “the FBI’s position, after all, as all the time when there’s any risk of a terrorist act, or acts motivated by hate or different bias, the FBI will probably be conducting these investigations.”
In an early assertion, Secretary of Homeland Safety Kristi Noem wrote on social media that “two Israeli Embassy workers have been senselessly killed tonight close to the Jewish Museum in Washington DC.”
FBI Director Kash Patel additionally wrote on social media that “my workforce and I’ve been briefed on the capturing tonight in downtown DC exterior the Capital Jewish Museum and close to our Washington Discipline Workplace.” Patel mentioned the FBI was working with D.C. police on the investigation.
“There isn’t a ongoing menace to public security,” the FBI Washington Discipline Workplace wrote on social media.
Erielle Delzer and
contributed to this report.
