Jewish Museum DC Shooting: Israeli newspapers Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Lynn Milgrim Schlauf; More suspicious than Elias Rodriguez identified

Washington – Two employees of the Israeli embassy – a couple who got engaged – were shot down on Wednesday before an event in the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, in what the FBI director Kash Patel called “act of terrorism”.

The shootout triggered outrage and was condemned as a “unspeakable” act of anti -Semitism after the officials said after the shootout that the suspect who is in custody screamed “free, free palestine”.

Yaron Lischinsky (30) and Sarah Lynn Milgrim (26) were identified as victims by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar during a press conference on Thursday morning. According to the criminal complaint, both victims suffered from gunshot wounds, with the police found 21 cassette covers of 9 mm at the scene.

More | What we know about 2 Israeli embassy employees who were killed in DC shootout

He said the couple took part in a Jewish conference of the American Jewish Committee when they were “shot down in a terrorist terrorist attack”.

“This is the direct result of a toxic anti -Semitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world that have been taking place on October 7 on October 7,” added Sa'ar. “I have taken care of something like that in the past few months. And that did it.”

An Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed reporters during the press that Lischinsky and Milgrim were not diplomats but employees of the message. Lischinsky was a researcher in the political department of the Israeli message, while Milgrim organized US missions to Israel.

Suspect taken into custody

The suspect identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago was immediately taken into custody at the crime scene and is asked by the police, said Pamela Smith, police chief of DC Metro.

Rodriguez allegedly passed the two victims and “a firearm from the area of ​​his covenant,” said in court documents. He is captured on the video to “expand both arms in the direction of the victims” and began to “shoot” several times, the documents said. As soon as the victims fell to the ground, Rodriguez went closer to them, “leaned over with them with an extended arm and fired with them several times,” the criminal complaint said.

When Milgrim tried to “crawl away from Rodriguez, he followed behind her and fired again,” it said in the court documents. When he started to recharge his firearm, Milgrim started “on” and Rodriguez began to shoot them several more times, the complaint said.

Rodriguez can then be seen how the museum is located, the complaint says.

After the shootouts, officials said Rodriguez tried to enter the building where the event took place and the event security was stopped, said Smith.

Katie Kalisher, who was in the museum at the time of the shootout, said before his arrest to ABC News, Rodriguez “came to where I was and we offered water.

Another witness, Yoni Kalin, said the suspect was “frightened”.

Once in custody, he implied that he had committed the shootout and began to sing, “free, free Palestine,” said Smith. He also explained where he had allegedly stored the weapon used in the shootings, which, according to officials, was immediately restored.

On Thursday, Rodriguez was charged with the murder of foreign civil servants, which caused the death of a person by using a firearm, the discharge of a firearm during a violent crime and two charges of the first degree murder.

The reigning US lawyer Jeanine Pirro said on Thursday that her office examines the case as a hate crime and act of terrorist, and this indictment is added when the evidence is guaranteed.

“A young couple at the beginning of their way of life, who worked shortly before another country, could be dealt with in a body pocket in a foreign city in the cold of the night. We will no longer tolerate that,” said Pirro during a press conference. “Anti -Semitism is not tolerated, especially in the capital of the nation.”

The deputy FBI director Dan Bongino said the early indicators indicate that the shootout was a “targeted attack”.

“The US law firm is with me and our WFO management team at the Washington Field Office on site, in which the evidence of determining additional measures is checked,” said Bongino. “The shootout found only a short distance from our field in Washington. Our FBI policeman, who was assigned to the external position on the WFO property, replied immediately and provided help after the attack. Early indicators are that these is an act of targeted violence.

Bongino said on Thursday that the FBI “certain writings that were allegedly written by the suspect and we hope that authenticity will be updated very soon.”

The FBI also said that on Thursday it was carried out in a house in Chicago “Court approved activities”, which is believed to be connected to the suspect at the shootout.

“No active threat”

“There is no active threat,” said the Mayor of DC, Muriel Bowser, during the press conference in the Metropolitan Police Department.

“I would like to make it clear that we will not tolerate this violence or hatred in our city. We will not tolerate terrorist files, and in the coming days and weeks we will be together as a community to send a clear message that we will not tolerate anti -Semitism.”

Emergency calls received calls around 9:08 p.m. and reported a shootout in the area, said Smith.

When rescue workers arrived, the man and a woman were found at the scene, did not breathe, she continued. At least one of the victims was brought to a local hospital for the first time in a critical condition, Sources ABC News said.

The two victims had left the event in the museum when the incident took place, confirmed officials.

“The couple, who was shot down this evening, was put off shortly before,” said the Israeli ambassador at the United States Yechiel Head at the press conference. “The young man bought a ring this week to suggest in Jerusalem next week.”

Head also announced that he had received a call from President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening and promised the support of the United States to combat anti -Semitism.

In the meantime, Trump published an explanation of the shooting on his social media platform Truth Social and said: “These terrible DC murders, which are obviously based on anti -Semitism, now have to end, now! Hate and radicalism have no place in the USA. Surse of the victims. So sad that things like that! God bless you all!”

Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that they believe that the suspect had acted alone – “of everything we know now”.

“I saw how the body of a young man was taken away who wanted to get engaged. He had a whole life in front of him, and that was taken away. The hatred must stop and it has to stop now. This person is fully pursued,” said Bondi.

Questions about security

Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, confirmed with ABC News that the AJC had held an event in the museum on Wednesday evening: “We are destroyed that an unspeakable act of violence before the event location took place. At this moment when we are waiting for further information from the police, we have our hearts, and our hearts, in which people, and our hearts, and our hearts, and our hearts, and our hearts Damage and their families.

The incident occurred near the FBI field office in DC, a top spokesman for the FBI who was published on X that a presence of the office was in connection with the Metropolitan Police Department at the crime scene.

Bondi and the preliminary US lawyer of the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro went into the scene shortly after the incident, Bondi said in a post on X.

“Pray for the victims of this violence while we work to learn more,” she wrote.

Bondi was asked on Thursday morning when she visited the scene again whether there was a security failure to prevent the attack.

“I don't think someone would have expected what happened last night,” said Bondi. “You were in an event, a nice event.

Reaction to shooting

The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made an explanation after the shootout and said that he was “shocked” when he murdered two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC

“The prime minister spoke to ambassador Israel in the USA, Yechiel Head, and received an immediate update of the details of the incident,” the explanation said. “The Prime Minister sends the strength to the ambassador and the message.”

“My heart hurts for the families of the beloved young man and the beloved young man and the beloved wife, whose life was canceled by a hideous anti -Semitic murderer,” said Netanyahu. “I have instructed to increase the security agreements in Israeli missions all over the world and the security for representatives of the state.”

Netanyahu also spoke to the parents of both victims, said the prime minister's office.

In Washington, DC, the secret service increased security and patrols for the Israeli embassy and the apartment of the Israeli ambassador on Wednesday evening.

In New York City, the NYPD expanded its presence and security measures in Jewish and Israeli institutions and locations associated with the Israeli government. The increased security will exist for an indefinite period and are both visible and hidden, said civil servants.

Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the United Nations, described the shootout as a “spoiled act of anti -Semitic terrorism” in one post on X.

“The damage to diplomats and the Jewish community crosses a red line,” he wrote.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of the US Ministry of Homeland Security, said on X: “We are actively examining and working actively to get further information. Please pray for the families of the victims. We will put this spoiled perpetrator in court.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris and the former second gentleman Doug Emhoff shared the reactions to the incident on social media on Thursday morning, whereby Harris described the attack as “shocking act of anti -Semitic violence”.

“Jews have to be able to gather without fear or violence. We will not be silent and we will never let anti -Semitic terror defeat. May the memory of Yaron and Sarah be a blessing,” wrote Emhoff, who is Jewish and was working on fighting anti -Semitism as a second gentleman.

The Capital Jewish Museum, which has been closed since the shootout, “will reopen with all the necessary security in the coming days,” said Beatrice Gurwitz, Managing Director of the museum.