A man fatally shot two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the United States last night, Wednesday (local time), outside the Jewish Museum in Washington where an event was being held, and shouted pro-Palestinian slogans during his arrest—an attack that Donald Trump condemned as antisemitic.

“Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington. We are conducting investigations,” wrote Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on social media.

The FBI and the Department of Justice confirmed that the victims were a man and a woman. They were a young couple preparing to get engaged, the Israeli Ambassador later revealed.

According to a post by the embassy, they were Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrom.

“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues,” the Embassy said in a post. “They were in the prime of their lives. Tonight, a terrorist shot and killed them as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. The entire staff is devastated and deeply saddened by their murder. No words can express the extent of our grief and horror over this painful loss. Our thoughts are with their families, and the Embassy will stand by them during this horrific time,” the message concluded.

“Free, Free Palestine,” shouted the attacker during his arrest

Local police confirmed that a suspect entered the building after the shooting and was arrested.

“Before the gunfire, the suspect was seen pacing outside the museum. He approached a group of four people, pulled out a handgun, and opened fire,” said Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith to reporters.

“We believe there was only one perpetrator, and he has been arrested,” she added.
She also stated that the suspect shouted “Free, free Palestine” and that his name is Elias Rodriguez.

A video circulating on social media shows a bearded man wearing glasses, a jacket, and a white shirt being arrested and escorted by individuals without resisting. Before entering the building, he turns to the bystanders and the camera and twice shouts “Free Palestine.”

Who is Elias Rodriguez

Police announced that the arrestee is Elias Rodriguez, 30 years old, and originally from Chicago.

Rodriguez appears to have been a member of a radical left-wing organization supporting the Palestinian cause, according to The Times of Israel.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Rodriguez had been working since 2024 as a staff member at the American Osteopathic Association, based in Chicago.

Previously, he worked as a researcher for The HistoryMakers, an online archive of African American oral histories founded by Carnegie Mellon University.
A profile on The HistoryMakers website states that Rodriguez was born and raised in Chicago, and enjoys reading and writing fiction, music, cinema, and exploring new places. According to the same profile, Rodriguez resides in the Avondale neighborhood of Chicago and is a graduate of the University of Illinois.