‘Free Palestine’ terror in Washington DC: assassination of Jewish diplomats about to be engaged

A young couple who worked together at the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot dead near a Jewish museum in the US capital by a 30-year-old man who, when taken into custody, shouted ‘free, free Palestine’.

Clockwise from main: embassy workers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim; gunman Elias Rodriguez; a person wrapped in the Israel flag at the scene.

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A young couple who worked together at the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot dead at close range near a Jewish museum in the cultural heart of the US capital by a 30-year-old man who, when taken into custody, shouted “free, free Palestine”.

The Israeli ambassador to America sketched out the depth of the tragedy, noting that Yaron ­Lischinsky had bought a ring with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim. The pair were going to get engaged when they travelled to Jerusalem next week. The ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, described the two staffers, whose identifies were confirmed by Israeli officials, as a “beautiful couple”.

The brazen shooting shook America, Jewish communities around the world and the US political establishment, with Donald Trump swiftly condemning the “horrible DC killing, based ­obviously on anti-Semitism”.

Police tentatively identified the shooter as Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois.

Attorney-General Pam Bondi attended the scene of the crime and said Rodriguez, if charged, would be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

The Israeli embassy in Washington identified the two slain staffers as “Yaron and Sarah”. It said the couple “were our friends and colleagues” who were “in the prime of their lives”.

“This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC,” it said. “The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.”

In Australia, the shooting was met with immediate concern by Jewish groups who expressed fear for their safety. Australia/­Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein said that “if this act could happen on the streets of the American capital, it could happen in ­Australia”.

Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion and co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the “senseless, brutal and targeted attack again shows us the danger posed to us all by the incitement and violence of the pro-Palestinian movement”.

“The ECAJ has been in touch with the Australian Federal Police this afternoon and reminds the community to remain vigilant,” they said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ­ordered enhanced security at ­Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide “to increase protection for state representatives”.

The shooting happened shortly after 9pm on Wednesday (11am on Thursday AEST) at the corner of 3rd Street and F Street NW in Washington near the Capital Jewish Museum which is dedicated towards exploring the Jewish experience in the US capital.

The museum was hosting a “Young Diplomats Reception”. The invitation for the event said it was aimed at bringing together Jewish professionals aged 22 to 45 and the DC diplomatic community “for an evening dedicated to fostering unity and celebrating Jewish heritage”.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said police received multiple calls after 9.08pm and officers found a woman unconscious and not breathing at the scene.

“Despite all lifesaving efforts, both victims succumbed to their injuries,” she said. “The preliminary investigation indicates that both victims were exiting an event at the Capital Jewish Museum … when the shooting occurred,” she said. “We believe the shooting was committed by a single suspect who is now in custody. Prior to the shooting the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun, and opened fire.

Jewish Museum shooting suspect Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, prior to his arrest at the scene of the horrific crime. Picture: X

“After the shooting the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by event security. Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon. And that weapon has been recovered. And he implied that he committed the offence. The suspect chanted ‘free, free Palestine’ while in custody. The suspect has been tentatively identified as Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois.”

The shooting comes as Israel faces growing international criticism over its renewed offensive in the Gaza Strip and its moratorium on food supplies, which it had just began to ease.

DC mayor Muriel Bowser said there was “no active threat in our community” but acknowledged the incident would frighten a lot of people. “We will not tolerate this violence or hate in our city,” Ms Bowser said. “We will not tolerate any acts of terrorism. And we are going to stand together as a community in the coming days and weeks to send a clear a message that we will not tolerate anti-­Semitism.”

Police at the scene of the shooting in Washington DC. Picture: AP

Steven Jensen, the FBI assistant director in charge of the ­Washington field office, said the agency would look into any ties to potential terrorism or motivation based on a bias-based crime or a hate-crime.

Mr Leiter said the young couple “gunned down in the name of ‘free Palestine’” were about to be engaged. “The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” he said.

“They were a beautiful couple who came to enjoy an evening in Washington’s cultural centre. ­Together we will stand and we’re going to overcome moral depravity of people who think that they’re going to achieve political gains through murder.”

Mr Leiter said he spoke to Mr Trump who told him his administration would do “everything it can possibly do to fight and end antiSemitism” as well as the “demonisation and delegitimisation of the state of Israel”.

Mr Netanyahu said the world was “witnessing the terrible price of anti-Semitism and the wild ­incitement against the state of Israel.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was devastated by the fatal attack but added that Israel and America would “stand united in defence of our people”.

“This is a despicable act of ­hatred, of anti-Semitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy,” Mr Herzog said.

Additional reporting: The Wall Street Journal