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A man and a woman were shot and killed in front of the Capital Jewish Museum in Northwest D.C. Wednesday evening. Video shows the shooting suspect shouting, “Free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody by authorities after what world leaders call an antisemitic attack.
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WATCH HEREThe Israeli Embassy to the United States has identified the victims of the shooting as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
Calling them friends and colleagues, the embassy said in a post on X that the two victims were “in the prime of their lives.”
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SIGN UP Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives.
— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) May 22, 2025
This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC.
The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words… pic.twitter.com/2HytKDp8Fr
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said they were a young couple about to get engaged. The male victim had just purchased a ring and intended to propose next week in Jerusalem, Leiter said.
“We’re going to overcome moral depravity of people who think they’re going to achieve political gains through murder,” Leiter said.
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The suspect shouted "Free, free Palestine" while being arrested, three law enforcement officials said. Videos obtained by NBC News appear to show the arrest inside the museum.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said Thursday that he was “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,” he said in a statement.
The shooting took place before 9:10 p.m. in the area of 3rd and F streets in Northwest — an area surrounded by law enforcement offices. It's behind the FBI field office and the U.S. attorney's office. D.C. police headquarters is just a couple blocks away.
The couple were leaving an event at the museum when a man who had been seen pacing in front of the museum approached a group of four people and opened fire, striking the victims, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said.
First responders found the victims unconscious at the scene. Life-saving efforts failed.
The suspect then entered the building and was taken into custody by event staff, police said. He told them where he had put the gun and implied he was the shooter, Smith said.
The suspect is identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois. Authorities believe he is the lone actor in the crime.
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon posted on the social media platform X that additional Israeli embassy employees were injured in the fatal shooting. He called it “a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
News4 has not confirmed any additional victims other than the deceased man and woman.
American Jewish Committee (AJC) CEO Ted Deutch confirmed his organization hosted an event at the museum Wednesday evening. NBC News reports it was a cocktail reception for young diplomats and professionals.
“We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue,” he said in a statement. “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.”
While Ambassador Leiter was on his way to the scene, he said he received a call from President Donald Trump, who told him his administration will do everything it can to fight antisemitism.
"We will confront this moral depravity without fear,” Leiter said.
"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA," Trump posted on Truth Social.
“The horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city and our country,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said.
She said D.C. will not tolerate violence, hate or any acts of terrorism.
“We are going to send a message that we won’t tolerate antisemitism,” Bowser said.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is responding, sources familiar with the shooting told News4.
“My team and I have been briefed on the shooting tonight in downtown DC outside the Capital Jewish Museum and near our Washington Field Office," FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X. "While we’re working with MPD to respond and learn more, in the immediate, please pray for the victims and their families.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro were also at the scene.
Bondi said the suspect “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Police asked people to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
The D.C. government recently announced a half million dollars in grants for local nonprofits to help offset security costs. One recipient is the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum, which said it has serious concerns about security, not just because they are a Jewish organization, but also due to a new exhibit focused on the LGBTQ community.
Stay with NBC Washington for updates to this developing story.
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