Two Israeli embassy staffers shot dead in Washington

A young couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C. were fatally shot on Wednesday night by a pro-Palestine attacker. The victims were Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, according to a social media post by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. The two were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum around 9 p.m. when they were killed, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a press conference Wednesday night.

A suspect in police custody Wednesday was tentatively identified as Elias Rodriguez, age 30, of Chicago. After opening fire on the victims, he entered the museum and was detained by event security. He implied he committed the crime and chanted “free, free Palestine” while in custody, Smith said.

Who were the victims? Lischinsky was an Israeli who worked in the embassy’s political department, focusing on Middle East issues. Milgrim was an American Jew from Overland Park, Kan., according to the American Jewish Committee. Milgrim organized visits to Israel for the embassy, according to the Associated Press. Lischinsky had purchased a ring days earlier and was intending to propose to Milgrim in Jerusalem the following week, Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter said at the press conference.

Leiter said President Donald Trump had called him to offer condolences. Trump strongly condemned the attack and said the United States would fight against anti-Semitism, Leiter said.

Who is working on the case? Washington’s Metropolitan Police are leading the investigation into the shooting, Smith said. The FBI is also investigating the incident as a potential act of terrorism or hate crime. U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro will prosecute the case, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.