- Thursday, May 22, 2025
The two were fired upon as they left an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff at the Capital Jewish Museum, about two kilometers away from the White House
By: India Weekly
TWO Israeli embassy staffers, a young couple about to be engaged, were killed by a lone gunman in Washington, DC, on Wednesday (21) night.
The couple was fired upon as they left an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff at the Capital Jewish Museum, about two kilometers away from the White House.
Washington Metropolitan Police chief Pamela Smith said a man shot at a group of four people with a handgun, hitting the two victims.
The assailant was seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting.
The single suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted “Free Palestine, Free Palestine,” after being taken into custody, she said.
The suspect had no previous contact with police and the murder weapon has been recovered, she added.
“After the shooting, the suspect entered the museum and was detained by event security,” Smith said.
Israel’s ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter told reporters the slain young man had “purchased a ring this week to propose to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem.”
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting. “These horrible DC killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” he said in a message on Truth Social.
“Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his heart ached for the families of the victims, “whose lives were cut short by a heinous anti-Semitic murderer.”
The targeted event was an annual reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community.
The evening was “dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage,” with an invitation to the event saying the location would be “shared upon registration.”
“We are devastated that two cherished friends and partners from the Israeli embassy were shot and killed as they left an American Jewish Committee event,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement.
“It strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state. This senseless hate and violence must stop.”
US secretary of state Marco Rubio condemned the shooting, while Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X: “We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice.”
Attorney general Pam Bondi and US attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro went to the scene after the shooting.
Deputy FBI Director Don Bongino said the suspect was being interviewed by the police and the FBI.
“Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence,” he said in a post on X.
“Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads.”
The shootings could give political ammunition to Netanyahu and his far-right partners to take a harder line in the conflict in Gaza as well as generate sympathy for Israel from Western allies who were piling pressure on him to ease the aid blockade in the war-ravaged territory.
The shooting will also further convulse the US debate over the war in Gaza, which has polarized steadfast supporters of Israel and pro-Palestinian demonstrators.
Conservative Israel supporters led by Trump have branded pro-Palestinian demonstrators as antisemitic.
Trump has cut off funding to elite US universities that he says have permitted antisemitic demonstrations, and his administration has detained foreign student demonstrators without charges. (Agencies)
