Moments of terror in Washington, D.C., where two Israeli embassy officials were gunned down outside the Capital Jewish Museum. According to police reports, after the attack the shooter shouted “Free Palestine! Free Palestine!”
The shooting occurred around 9 p.m., when the two victims, a couple, were exiting the museum located just a short walk from the FBI headquarters and various tourist attractions in the city. After opening fire, the shooter crossed the threshold of the Jewish Museum, but fortunately was blocked by security before he could fire again at those present.
The man, Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old from Chicago, had been seen for several minutes walking nervously near the museum before carrying out the terrible act. Later, DC law enforcement officials explained that he had no criminal record.
At this time, the names of the victims have not been released. However, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, said the two were soon to be married. The man had already purchased the engagement ring, and would show it to his partner on a trip to Jerusalem, which the couple would make in the coming days.
JoJo Kalin, a board member of the American Jewish Committee who helped organize the event, said she didn’t witness the shooting but felt a “sense of guilt” about what happened.
“I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. And that Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self-determination and [it is] just deeply ironic that that’s what we were discussing,” she said.
Leading U.S. political leaders, starting with President Donald Trump, also spoke out on the terrible affair. “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC”, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said, adding “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share.”
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, also spoke on the case, calling the incident a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
Finally, the Israeli Embassy in the capital itself reported that it had full confidence that the authorities would “protect representatives of Israel and Jewish communities throughout the United States.”
The double murder provoked an intense response from police, who blocked off several major streets in the city last night. According to CBS reports, the Georgetown University campus has also been temporarily closed for security reasons.
