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By Shane Croucher
Senior Editor
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he is tightening security at Israeli missions worldwide and increasing protections for his country's representatives in response to a shooting in Washington, D.C., that killed two embassy staff.
"We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel. The blood libels against Israel are paid in blood, and we must fight them relentlessly," Netanyahu said, per an English translation from Hebrew.
"My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were suddenly cut short by a vile antisemitic murderer."
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Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim Were a Couple
The suspect shot Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim near the Capital Jewish Museum and shouted "free, free Palestine" as he was arrested, police said. The young couple, soon to be engaged, were leaving an event at the museum when they were targeted.
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect, identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting, and was detained by event security.
Trump Decries 'Hatred and Radicalism'
Netanyahu's office said on X, formerly Twitter, that he has spoken to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about the incident to learn more about the alleged suspect and the two embassy employees.
Bondi relayed her deep sorrow to Netanyahu, his office said, and that President Donald Trump is helping to manage the situation. She said the killer would be brought to justice.
Trump addressed the incident in a post on Truth Social, writing, "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA."
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Suspect Yelled 'Free Palestine'
Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots, and a man came inside looking distressed, they said.
Kalin said people came to his aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, "free Palestine," Kalin said.
"This event was about humanitarian aid," Kalin said.
"How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood."
Israel has been at war with the militant group Hamas since the October 7, 2023, attack in which militants from Gaza crossed into Israeli territory, killed 1,200 people, and took hundreds of hostages back into the Strip.
The war has devastated Gaza, with over 50,000 civilians killed, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, and whole areas razed to the ground as Israel seeks to eliminate Hamas.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press.
Update 5/22/25, 10:19 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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