Two Israeli embassy staffers killed in Washington shooting, suspect held

Two Israeli embassy staffers, a young couple about to be engaged, were killed by a lone gunman as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night, and a suspect is in custody, Reuters reported citing officials.

The two were shot and killed in the area of 3rd and F Streets in Northwest, a part of central Washington that is about 1.3 miles (2 km) from the White House, Reuters reported.

Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said a man shot at a group of four people with a handgun, hitting both the victims. He was seen pacing outside the museum prior to the shooting.

The single suspect, tentatively identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted "Free Palestine, Free Palestine," after being taken into custody, she said, according to Reuters.

"After the shooting, the suspect entered the museum and was detained by event security," Smith said. "Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense."

The suspect had no previous contact with police, she added.

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., told reporters the young man killed had "purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem."

President Donald Trump condemned the shooting. "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" he said in a message on Truth Social. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was shocked by the killings.

"My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were cut short by a heinous anti-Semitic murderer," he said in a statement.

"I have instructed to strengthen security arrangements at Israeli missions around the world and security for state representatives."

Israeli President Isaac Herzog and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also condemned the incident, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on X: "We will bring this depraved perpetrator to justice."

Deputy FBI Director Don Bongino said the suspect was being interviewed by the police and the FBI.

"Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence," he said in a post on X. "Our FBI team is fully engaged and we will get you answers as soon as we can, without compromising additional leads."