2 employees of the Israeli message who was shot outside the Jewish Museum for the DC Jewish Museum

This is a developing story.

Two people were shot in front of the Jewish Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, where the American Jewish Committee organized an event.

Both people who were killed were employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, according to Jewish and civil servants. One was identified as Yaron Lischinsky, a researcher in the political department of the message who moved to Israel as a teenager from Germany.

The shootout took place on Wednesday after 9 p.m. and the victims were a man and a woman who was in order, said Israeli ambassador Yechiel Head at a press conference on Wednesday evening.

The police ask a suspect that they identified as Elias Rodriguez and whom they believe that he was solely responsible. Rodriguez, 30 and based in Chicago, according to the police, turned to a group of people and shot shots. Then he entered the museum where he was arrested.

Rodriguez sang: “Free, free Palestine” after he was imprisoned, DC police chief said at a press conference. Video from the museum showed a man tied with handcuffs who scored the singing while he was led away.

Smith said it was not an intelligence before the event, which indicates that there would be an attack. She also said Rodriguez was unknown to the DC police. The FBI examines whether the shootout is a hate crime and an act of terrorism.

The event was held by the American Jewish Committee, which had advertised a cocktail event for young Jewish professionals and diplomats on Wednesday. On the website, the location for those who have registered said a practice that many Jewish groups have passed away from high alert, including the threats from protests against the war of Israel fights against Hamas in Gaza.

“We are destroyed that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the event location,” said Ted Deutch, CEO of AJC in a statement. “At that moment when we expect further information from the police, our attention and hearts are exclusively with those that have been damaged and their families.”

The shootout takes place in the middle of reports on the increasing anti -Semitism to Hamas' from October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which initiated the war in Gaza. American Jewish leaders and Israeli officials combined the shootout with this increase.

“People who think that they are approaching all the topics they have about Israel, through violent behavior, which is directed against Jewish audience, Jewish people – this is only pure anti -Semitism,” said Eric Fingerhut, President and CEO of the Jewish associations of North America.

“There is no question that the outrageous anti-Israel activities that took place in this country contributed to the incitement of anti-Semitic violence on October 7,” added foxglove. “This is clearly proof of this.”

The Israeli ambassador in the United Nations, Danny Danon, described the shootout “a spoiled act of anti -Semitic terrorism” in a statement.

“Damage the Jewish community crosses a red line,” he said. “We are confident that the US authorities will take action against those responsible for this criminal law. Israel will continue to act determined to protect its citizens and representatives – all over the world.”

The shootout has been the first fatal attack on an American Jewish institution for several years. The worst anti -Semitic attack in the history of US history occurred in 2018 when a shooter killed 11 Jews in a synagogue in Pittsburgh. The following year there were three other fatal attacks on a synagogue in California, a kosher supermarket in New Jersey and a rabbi house in New York.

Since then and in the last 19 months since October 7 and the beginning of the war in Gaza, Jewish institutions have strengthened their security. The Capital Jewish Museum, which opened in 2023, had just received a security subsidy from Washington, DC this week. Mayor Muriel Bowser said that the city would turn with the local Jewish institutions to ensure that they are safe after the shootout.

Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted that she was “at the scene of the terrible shootout” together with the US lawyer Jeanine Pirro. The Trump government has described the fight against anti -Semitism as the top priority.

“We will do everything in our power to protect all citizens, especially tonight, our Jewish community,” said Bondi at the press conference. “We will follow the facts that we will follow the law, and this defendant will be pursued to the full extent of the law if accused.”

Fingerhut said his organization would continue to find ways to strengthen security. “The security of the Jewish community was and remains the top priority of the Jewish Federation system,” he said. “The risks have continued to increase because anti-Semitism has increased and has increased as anti-Israel behavior in America and our security teams worked so hard to keep up with it. They were obviously not successful tonight, but we will stop until we have guaranteed the security of our community.”

Lischinsky wrote about his LinkedIn profile that he supported and added “to the peace circle with our Arab neighbors” and added: “For this purpose, I am advocated for interreligious dialogue and intercultural understanding.”