A gunman opened fire Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, killing two staffers from the Israeli embassy—research assistant Yaron Lischinsky and public diplomacy officer Sarah Lynn Milgrim—before being taken into custody.
The attack occurred during a young professionals’ reception just a mile from the White House.
According to Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago paced the museum’s sidewalk before approaching the victims and firing a handgun.
First responders found Lischinsky, an Israeli and German dual national, and Milgrim, an American citizen, unresponsive; both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Witnesses reported that museum guests initially mistook Rodriguez for a victim and offered him aid before he revealed his intent. Video of his arrest shows him shouting “Free Palestine” as officers led him away.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as an act of anti-Semitic violence. Netanyahu ordered heightened security at Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide.
Israel identified the victims as an engaged couple—Lischinsky had purchased an engagement ring for Milgrim.
Their deaths come amid a global rise in anti-Semitic attacks following the Israel–Gaza conflict. Both Britain and France joined Israel’s outcry, while Germany’s foreign minister noted Lischinsky’s German citizenship.
This tragic incident underscores growing concerns over extremist violence in the U.S. capital and beyond.
