2 staff members of Israeli embassy killed in shooting near Jewish museum in DC

WASHINGTON AP Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed Wednesday evening while leaving an event at a Jewish museum and the suspect yelled Free free Palestine after he was arrested police announced The two casualties a man and a woman were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith announced at a news conference The suspect identified as Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event precaution Smith announced When he was taken into custody the suspect began chanting Free free Palestine Smith declared Smith stated law enforcement did not believe there was an ongoing threat to the society Israeli Ambassador to the U S Yechiel Leiter commented the two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged saying the man had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem Attorney General Pam Bondi announced she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro who serves as the U S attorney in Washington and whose office would prosecute the episode These horrible D C killings based obviously on antisemitism must end NOW President Donald Trump posted on social media early Thursday Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA Condolences to the families of the casualties So sad that such things as this can happen God Bless You ALL Israeli President Isaac Herzog noted he was devastated by the scenes in Washington This is a despicable act of hatred of antisemitism which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured I send my full encouragement to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff He added We stand with the Jewish locality in DC and across the US America and Israel will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values Terror and hate will not break us It was not forthwith clear whether Rodriguez had an attorney who could comment on his behalf A telephone number listed in populace records rang unanswered The influential pan-Arab satellite channel Al Jazeera aired on a loop what appeared to be mobile phone footage of the alleged gunman wearing a suit jacket and slacks being pulled away after the shooting his hands behind his back The shooting comes as Israel has launched a new campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a war that has set tensions aflame across the wider Middle East The war began with the Palestinian militant group Hamas coming out of Gaza on Oct to kill people and take specific hostages back to the coastal enclave In the time since Israel s devastating campaign in Gaza has killed more than people mostly women and children according to local robustness functionaries whose count doesn t differentiate between combatants and civilians The fighting has displaced of the territory s roughly million population sparked a hunger problem and obliterated vast swaths of Gaza s urban landscape Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed they disclosed Kalin disclosed 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 stated This event was about humanitarian aid Kalin reported How can we indeed 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 authentically help innocent people And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood Last week the Capital Jewish Museum was one of the local nonprofits in Washington awarded funding from a grant plan to increase its shield The museum s leaders were concerned because it is a Jewish organization and due to its new LGBTQ exhibit according to NBC Washington We recognize that there are threats associated with this as well Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz notified the TV station And again we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories In response to the shooting the museum commented in a declaration that they are deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington CEO Gil Preuss reported in a message that he was horrified by the shooting and mourned the loss of the two people killed Our hearts are with their families and loved ones and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence he mentioned Israeli diplomats in the past have been targeted by violence both by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants over the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian conflict that grew out of the founding of Israel in The Palestinians seek Gaza and the West Bank for a future state with east Jerusalem as its capital lands Israel captured in the war However the peace process between the sides has been stalled for years AP writers Alanna Durkin Richer Hallie Golden and Jon Gambrell contributed Source