Two staff members of the Israeli embassy were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington, DC late on Wednesday, U.S. authorities have confirmed.
The deceased, a man and a woman, whose identities have not yet been made public, were shot at close range as they exited an event hosted at the museum, located at the corner of 3rd and F Streets NW, an area close to several government institutions, including the FBI’s Washington field office.
Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect, identified tentatively as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez, was taken into custody after being seen pacing outside the museum before the attack.
“He chanted ‘Free Palestine, Free Palestine’ while in custody,” Smith told reporters, adding that Rodriguez had no prior record with police.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was working with the metropolitan police to learn more.
“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling the shooting “depraved” and pledging justice for the victims.
Police launched a large-scale response, closing several nearby streets and locking down Georgetown University’s Capitol campus.
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The Israeli ambassador was not present at the time of the shooting, according to U.S. media reports.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. condemned the shooting.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
He extended his condolences to the victims’ families, calling the incident “so sad.”
At a press briefing following the attack, Israeli ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the victims were a young Israeli couple who were about to get engaged.
“The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” he said, describing them as a “beautiful couple” who had come to enjoy an evening in Washington’s cultural centre.
He said Trump personally called him through Attorney General Pam Bondi, vowing that his administration would “do everything it can possibly do to fight and end antisemitism.”
Leiter emphasised the unity between Israel and the U.S.
“Together we won’t be afraid. Together we’ll stand and we’re going to overcome the moral depravity of people who think they’re going to achieve political gains through murder,” he said.
Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon also reacted strongly to the incident, writing on X: “The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. is a depraved act of antisemitic terrorism.
“We are confident that the 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,” he said.
But Israeli opposition leader Yair Golan blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government ministers on Thursday for the killings.
In a statement, Golan, head of the Democrats Party, said the discourse of the Israeli government ministers enabled the incident.
Netanyahu’s government “is the one that fuels antisemitism and hatred of Israel, and the result is unprecedented diplomatic isolation and danger to every Jew at every point on the globe,” he said.
The opposition leader vowed to replace the government and “restore security to all Jews, in Israel and anywhere around the world.”
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has pursued a brutal offensive against Gaza since October 2023, killing nearly 53,700 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.
