Two Israeli embassy staffers were shot and killed on Wednesday evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., according to Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.
“We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share. Please pray for the families of the victims,” Noem wrote on X. “We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”
The shooting reportedly occurred around 9:15 p.m. near the intersection of 3rd and F streets NW, in front of the museum, and just behind the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
U.S. embassy spokesperson Tal Naim Cohen wrote on X that the victims—a man and a woman—were shot “at close range.”
“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,” said Cohen.
Police are questioning Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, who is believed to have acted alone. Following the shooting, Rodriguez reportedly entered the museum, where he was detained.
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith said during a Wednesday night press conference that the suspect chanted, “Free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter revealed that the victims were a couple who were about to be engaged. The man had recently purchased an engagement ring and planned to propose next week in Jerusalem.
Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, told ABC News that his organization was hosting an event at the museum that evening.
“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” Deutch said. “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.”
Danny Danon, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations, condemned the incident as a “depraved act of antisemitic terrorism.”
“Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line,” Danon wrote on X. “We are confident that U.S. authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives everywhere in the world.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force was involved in probing the attack, according to local media reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump extended condolences to the victims. “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” he wrote 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!”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi visited the scene and said she was “praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the attack, expressing outrage and emphasizing that representatives of the Jewish state are under constant threat.
“Horrified by this morning’s terrorist attack, in which two of our embassy staff in Washington, D.C., were murdered. Israeli representatives around the world are constantly exposed to heightened risk, especially in these times,” he said. “We are in close contact with American authorities. Israel will not surrender to terror.”
Israeli President Isaac Herzog stated: “I am devastated by the scenes in Washington, D.C. 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,” he continued. “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.”
He added that “America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
