Two Israeli embassy staffers members were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. by a Pro-Palestinian activist.
The shooting occurred on May 21, at 9:15 PM on the 300 block of F Street NW, next to the museum, which was hosting the American Jewish Committee’s Young Diplomats Reception last night.
“After the shooting a guy came inside [the museum] saying he saw it and needed water and a safe space, then whipped out a keffiyeh and yelled “free Palestine,” before being escorted out by police,” a witness at the museum told The National Pulse.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi, who arrived at the scene with Interim U.S. Attorney for Washington DC Jeanine Pirro tweeted, “I am on the scene of the horrible shooting outside the Washington, DC Capital Jewish Museum with @USAttyPirro. Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more.”
A spokesperson at the Israeli embassy in Washington, Tal Naim Cohen, confirmed that “two staff members of the Israeli embassy were shot this evening at close range while attending a Jewish event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C.”
The officers responding to the incident, discovered an unconscious woman and man suffering from gunshot wounds who were not breathing, reported Fox 5 DC.
The pair, who were allegedly set to be engaged, according to Israeli embassy officials, were later pronounced dead by authorities.
The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed the identity of the two victims and said that D.C. Metropolitan Police has taken in a suspect for questioning.
The suspect was identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, of Chicago, Illinois, who had reportedly shouted “Free, free Palestine!” as he was taken into custody, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
Smith added, “After the shooting, [the perpetrator] entered the museum and was detained by security. The suspect identified where he discarded the weapon which was since recovered.”
A representative of the FBI’s Washington Field Office, which is working with local police in a joint investigation, stated that there is “no ongoing threat to public safety.”
Local police have said that they have had no prior interactions with Rodriguez and it is still unknown if local security attempted to stop his attack, reported Haaretz.
Capitol Jewish Museum officials stated that “we are deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening. Our condolences and heartfelt sympathies go to the victims and their families.”
Israeli officials were outraged after news of the incident in Washington broke and have expressed their full faith in American law enforcement to handle the investigation.
“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.
Israel’s President Isaac Herzog called the shooting a “despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy,” and adding that “our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured.”
Meanwhile, both Democrats and Republicans have expressed sympathy for the victims and have condemned the fatal shootings.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! 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!” President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social.
“This sickening shooting seems to be another horrific instance of antisemitism, which, as we know, is all too rampant in our society. I’m praying for those who were killed, all those affected, and their families,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.
The mainstream media richly deserves the treatment it is getting from the Trump administration, as its coverage of Trump has been viciously unfair, and worse than that, ever since he entered the political arena. Join PJ Media VIP today and use code FIGHT for 60% off to get unfettered, steady, reliable news coverage that counters their narrative.
