Washington, DC Shooting: Israeli authorities are describing the Wednesday night shooting death of two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum as a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.” Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the victims, were a young couple who were allegedly getting engaged. For the event, the man had just bought a ring.
The incident happened close to the US Attorney General’s office and an FBI field office at the junction of 3rd and F Streets NW. The city’s diplomatic and Jewish communities are in shock over the site, which is triggering a large police response.
In a statement sent on X (previously Twitter), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the deaths, offered condolences, and promised federal support for the inquiry. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, Illinois, approached a group of four individuals and fired before going inside the museum, where security guards apprehended him, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
Who Is Elias Rodriguez in the Washington, DC Shooting? The Custodial Suspect
The only suspect in the shooting is 30-year-old Chicago resident Elias Rodriguez. According to authorities, he had no known criminal history and had not before been on the radar of law enforcement.
According to reports, Rodriguez has taken part in demonstrations associated with social justice movements and been active with organisations like the Party for Socialism and Liberation. Before the shooting, he was observed pacing outside the museum, although authorities have not yet verified his exact motivation.
Donald Trump responds
“Antisemitic” is how US President Donald Trump described the attack. “These terrible murders in D.C., which are clearly motivated by antisemitism, have to stop immediately! The USA is not a place for radicalism or hatred. Sending condolences to the victims’ families. How tragic that such occurrences can occur! He wrote, “God bless you all!” on his Truth Social page.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has not yet made a public statement regarding the ongoing inquiry. Bondi was indeed reportedly at the scene with Jeanine Pirro, the current U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia and a former judge.
The Shooting in Washington, DC: Background and Wider Consequences
The assault occurs in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe brought on by an 11-week siege and increased tensions following Israel’s stepped-up military campaign in Gaza. Gideon Saar, Israel’s foreign minister, blamed the shooting on poisonous anti-Semitic speech that has been going on throughout the world since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.
Whether the attack was driven by overt anti-Semitism or political concerns has been called into doubt by the suspect’s chant of “Free Palestine” after his detention.
Be First to Comment