Washington, D.C. was rocked by a tragic shooting on the evening of May 21, 2025, when two Israeli embassy staff members were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum. The victims, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were a young couple on the cusp of engagement, their lives cut short in what authorities are calling a targeted act of violence. The suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, has been charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder, in a case that has sparked outrage and heightened concerns about antisemitism in the United States.
The incident occurred just after 9 p.m. as Lischinsky and Milgrim left an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum, located in the heart of Washington, D.C., near federal buildings and cultural landmarks. The event was a networking reception for young diplomats and professionals, focused on humanitarian aid efforts, including those in Gaza. According to witnesses, Rodriguez was seen pacing outside the museum before approaching a group of four people, pulling out a 9mm handgun, and opening fire. Lischinsky and Milgrim were struck multiple times, with surveillance footage revealing the suspect continued shooting even as Milgrim attempted to crawl away. Both victims were pronounced dead shortly after, Lischinsky at the scene and Milgrim at the medical examiner’s office.
Rodriguez, described by authorities as a lone gunman, fled into the museum after the shooting. Initially, attendees mistook him for a distressed bystander seeking safety. “We thought he was just someone scared from the gunfire,” said Katie Kalisher, a 29-year-old attendee who spoke with Reuters. She recounted how people offered Rodriguez water to calm him down, unaware he was the shooter. Moments later, Rodriguez pulled out a red Palestinian-style keffiyeh scarf and declared, “I did it. I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.” As police escorted him out of the museum, he was heard chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” according to court documents and eyewitness accounts.
On May 22, 2025, federal prosecutors charged Rodriguez with two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Interim U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro, appointed by President Donald Trump, described the charges as a “death penalty-eligible case” during a press conference. “This is a horrific crime, and these crimes are not going to be tolerated by me and by this office,” Pirro stated firmly. She emphasized that the investigation is ongoing, with the shooting being treated as both a hate crime and an act of terrorism. Additional charges may be filed as evidence is reviewed.
The FBI, led by Deputy Director Dan Bongino, is investigating writings allegedly authored by Rodriguez, including a manifesto titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” posted to an anonymous X account shortly before the attack. The document condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza following the October 2023 Hamas attacks and discussed the morality of “armed action.” Authorities are working to verify its authenticity while scouring Rodriguez’s electronic devices and interviewing his associates, family, and coworkers. A search of his Chicago apartment revealed signs supporting Palestinian causes, including one demanding “Justice for Wadea,” referring to the 2023 killing of a Palestinian-American child in Illinois.
Rodriguez, a college-educated professional who worked as an administrative specialist at the American Osteopathic Information Association, had no prior criminal record or known interactions with law enforcement that flagged him as a threat. Neighbors in his Chicago apartment building described him as friendly but noted his growing involvement in pro-Palestinian activism. “He seemed like a normal guy,” said John Wayne Fry, a neighbor, who recalled seeing political signs in Rodriguez’s window. The suspect had legally purchased the 9mm handgun used in the shooting in Illinois in 2020 and transported it to Washington, D.C., for a work-related conference.
The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were remembered as bright and dedicated individuals. Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen who also held German nationality, worked in the embassy’s political department and was a former Israel Defense Forces member. Described as a “true lover of Israel” by Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, he had purchased an engagement ring and planned to propose to Milgrim during a trip to Jerusalem the following week. Milgrim, an American from Kansas, was deeply involved in advocacy, organizing trips to Israel and volunteering with Tech2Peace, a group promoting dialogue between young Palestinians and Israelis. Her friend Ayelet Razin called her “a light and an enlightened person,” devastated by the cruel irony of her death in an antisemitic attack, given her efforts to combat hatred.
The shooting has drawn widespread condemnation from U.S. and international leaders. President Donald Trump called the killings “horrible” and “obviously based on antisemitism” in a Truth Social post, stating, “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the attack as a “heinous antisemitic murder,” announcing increased security at Israeli embassies worldwide. World leaders, including Italy’s Antonio Tajani, the EU’s Kaja Kallas, and France’s Jean-Noel Barrot, expressed solidarity with Israel and condemned the violence as an act of antisemitic barbarity.
The tragedy has reignited discussions about rising antisemitism in the U.S., particularly amid heightened tensions over Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions since October 2023. The Capital Jewish Museum, which houses one of Washington’s oldest synagogues, has faced security challenges in recent years due to a surge in antisemitic incidents. “Jewish institutions all around the country are concerned about security due to a climate of antisemitism,” said Beatrice Gurwitz, the museum’s executive director, in a prior NBC News report.
Community members gathered for a vigil outside the museum on May 22, laying flowers and lighting candles in memory of Lischinsky and Milgrim. The American Jewish Committee, which hosted the event, issued a joint statement with 40 other groups, calling for increased federal security measures to address the “rising level of anti-Jewish incitement.” In Milgrim’s hometown of Kansas City, a vigil was held to honor her legacy, with attendees reflecting on her 2017 interview with a local TV station about her fears of antisemitism after her school was vandalized with a swastika.
As the investigation continues, Rodriguez remains in custody, having waived his right to a detention hearing. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 18, 2025. Authorities believe he acted alone, but the FBI is exploring his motivations and potential influences, including his admiration for a 2024 self-immolation protest outside the Israeli embassy in D.C., which he reportedly called a “martyr” act. The case has struck a chord in a nation grappling with division and hate, serving as a grim reminder of the consequences of unchecked extremism.
For the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, the pain is unimaginable. “They were in the prime of their lives,” said Israel’s U.S. Ambassador Yechiel Leiter. “No words can express the depth of our grief.” As Washington, D.C., mourns, the nation watches closely, hoping for justice and a renewed commitment to unity over division.
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