May 22 2025, 02:59 PM, updated 7 months ago
Two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in downtown Washington DC by a man who police say shouted "free, free Palestine" after the attack.
The victims, a young couple, were shot while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, DC police said, adding that the incident appears targeted.
The shooting happened at 21:05 local time (01:05 GMT) in an area with numerous tourist sites, museums and government buildings, including the FBI's Washington field office.
After the suspect, who has been detained by authorities, opened fire, he walked inside the museum and was stopped by security, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said.
The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was seen pacing outside the museum before opening fire on a group of four - killing the couple, Chief Smith said at a news conference.
Police "have not had any prior interactions" with the suspect, she added.
"We don't see anything in his background that would have placed him on our radar."
Israeli ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter shared at the conference that the couple killed had been planning to get engaged.
Mr Leiter said the male victim had purchased a ring this week and had planned to propose on a trip they'd planned to Jerusalem. The victims' names have not been released.
"We heard gunshots and then a guy came in looking really distressed. We thought he needed help," eyewitness Katie Kalisher told the BBC, referring to the suspect.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9vgrkdje1ro
This post has been edited by ipohps3: May 22 2025, 07:49 PM
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