A horrifying tragedy unfolded Wednesday night in downtown Washington, DC, when a young couple described as being in the “prime of their lives” was shot dead outside the Capital Jewish Museum. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were both Israeli nationals working for the Israeli Embassy. They had just stepped out of a networking event when their lives were cut short.
The shooter, identified by police as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, allegedly opened fire on a small group of people just after 9 p.m. The couple was hit at close range. Rodriguez was quickly apprehended after entering the museum, where he was reportedly acting distressed. Witnesses said he shouted “free, free Palestine” while being taken into custody.
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Eyewitness Katie Kalisher, who was attending the same event, told the BBC, “We heard gunshots and then a guy came in looking distressed. We thought he needed help.” What followed was an emergency lockdown and a major police response that shut down several key streets in the tourist-heavy district.
Officials say Rodriguez was not previously known to local law enforcement. “We have not had any prior interactions,” said Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith. “Nothing in his background would have placed him on our radar.”
The FBI is now investigating possible ties to terrorism or a bias-driven hate crime. Authorities aren’t ruling out antisemitism as a primary motive.
Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, spoke through visible grief at a press conference Thursday. He revealed that Lischinsky had planned to propose to Milgrim next week. “They were a beautiful couple,” he said. “It’s just heartbreaking.”
Former President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, writing, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the killings “a horrifying antisemitic murder” and said Israel would be boosting security at its embassies globally. “My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman,” he added. “We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the state of Israel.”
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The event the couple had been attending was organized by the American Jewish Committee to connect Jewish young professionals and members of the diplomatic community. According to organizers, it also invited humanitarian workers dealing with crises in the Middle East, including Gaza.
JoJo Kalin, an AJC board member who helped plan the gathering, said she didn’t witness the shooting but felt a deep sense of responsibility. “I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred,” she said. “It’s just deeply ironic that we were discussing self-determination for Israelis and Palestinians when this happened.”
Security concerns have long loomed over Jewish institutions across the U.S., and the Capital Jewish Museum is no exception. Its executive director, Beatrice Gurwitz, had told NBC News before the attack that the museum had recently received a grant to boost its security, especially with a new LGBT pride exhibit opening.
Now, with this act of violence hitting so close to home, those fears have become a grim reality.
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