On the evening of May 21, a shooting occurred in Washington. Two employees of the Israeli Embassy in the United States were killed.
A drama whose circumstances remain to be clarified
The facts took place on Wednesday May 21, shortly before 9 p.m. The American Jewish Committee Organized an event in the Washington Jewish Museum Capital Museum. It was an annual reception of young diplomats. The goal was to celebrate Jewish unity and heritage.
A couple, man and woman, came out of the event that was held In the museum’s grounds. They were called Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim and they worked at the Israeli Embassy. According to relatives of the couple, they were soon to be engaged.
An armed man Open fire and killed them. They are slaughtered at “Bout yet” right in front of the museum, as Tal Naim Cohen points out. She is responsible for communication for Israeli representation.
Two members of the staff of the Israeli Embassy were killed tonight at close range as they attended a Jewish event with the Jewish Museum in Washington DC.
We fully trust the authorities responsible for the application of the law, both local and federally, to apprehend the shooter and protect representatives of Israel and Jewish communities across the United States. (Tal Naim Cohen, spokesperson of the Embassy of Israel)
Reaction taken on site
Directly, police from the American federal capital have established a safety perimeter around the premises. According to the first elements collected by the investigators, it is of an act of targeted violence. It is the deputy director of the FBI, Dan Bongino who explains this on X.
The shooting occurred at a short distance from our local Washington office. Our FBI police officers, assigned to positions on WFO property, immediately reacted and helped after the attack.
The first indicators show that this is an act of targeted violence. Our FBI team is fully committed and we will give you answers as soon as possible, without compromising other tracks.
(Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI)
A suspect arrested
The suspect would have been seen going back and forth outside the museum before opening fire.
After the shooting, the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, A 30 -year -old man from Chicago entered the museum where he was mastered by the security of the event. He first wanted to make believe that he was only a witness to the scene. He then admitted the murders and was arrested. Rodriguez seemed strongly shocked Between the shooting then the arrest.
Rodriguez would have chanted ” Free Palestine During his arrest, and according to witnesses, he said he had acted “for Gaza”. American and Israeli authorities qualify This act of targeted anti -Semitic terrorism.
Donald Trump spoke
“” These horrible murders (…), obviously motivated by anti -Semitism, must stop now! ». He spoke on his social network Truth Social. The President of the United States continues by bringing all Its condolences to the two indebted families.
Many other politicians have expressed themselves on social networks. Some to pay tribute to the two diplomats who were killed. Others react in front lack of security And ask for changes. This is particularly the case of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs.
It is The President of the Senate, Gérard Larcher who announced on France Inter that we ” was equating Israel to the sole policy of Netanyahu ».
