A man with a firearm killed two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the United States as they left the Jewish Museum in Washington, and was arrested almost immediately.
Points of attention
- A terrorist attack in Washington resulted in the tragic deaths of two employees of the Israeli embassy.
- The attacker, 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was arrested immediately after the shooting.
- The victims, a couple planning to travel to Jerusalem and get engaged, were shot at the Jewish Museum.
Two Israeli diplomats killed in downtown Washington
On the evening of May 21, two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the United States — a man and a woman — were shot dead at the exit of the Jewish Museum in downtown Washington, which also houses an FBI office.
Police received a report of a shooting at 9:08 p.m. local time.
The attacker was identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago.
Police said he was pacing in front of the museum, then approached a group of four people who had come out, pulled out a gun and fired. The attacker then went inside the museum, where he was cornered by security guards.
By the time the services arrived, the wounded were unconscious and not breathing; they could not be saved.
The police noted that later in custody the detainee shouted slogans about "free Palestine."
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said the victims were a couple who were planning to get engaged next week and had traveled to Jerusalem to do so. The ambassador also said he spoke with US President Donald Trump after the shooting.
Attorney General Pam Bondi personally visited the scene and said she had spoken to Trump about the attack. "On behalf of the president, his prayers are with all of us and the entire Jewish community," she said.
