{"id":150545,"date":"2025-05-22T06:01:04","date_gmt":"2025-05-22T06:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/washington-dc-shooting-suspect-in-custody-after-two-israeli-embassy-staff-killed-near-capital-jewish-museum-latest-updates-the-guardian\/"},"modified":"2025-05-22T06:01:04","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T06:01:04","slug":"washington-dc-shooting-suspect-in-custody-after-two-israeli-embassy-staff-killed-near-capital-jewish-museum-latest-updates-the-guardian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/washington-dc-shooting-suspect-in-custody-after-two-israeli-embassy-staff-killed-near-capital-jewish-museum-latest-updates-the-guardian\/","title":{"rendered":"Washington DC shooting: suspect in custody after two Israeli embassy staff killed near Capital Jewish Museum \u2013 latest updates – The Guardian"},"content":{"rendered":"

Homicides are under investigation, police say during press conference, after fatal shooting of man and woman
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is \u201cshocked by the horrific antisemitic murder\u201d of the two Israeli embassy employees, his office has said in a post on X.
The statement said he had spoken with Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and US attorney general Pam Bondi. The statement added:
<\/path><\/svg>We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. The blood libels against Israel are rising in blood and must be fought to the bitter end.
He said security at embassies around the world and for Israeli representatives would be increased.
The Jewish Capital Museum has said in a statement that it is \u201cdeeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening.\u201d
CNN reports that the American Jewish Committee (AJC) was holding an event for young Jewish professionals on the night the shooting occurred.
The \u201cYoung Diplomats Reception\u201d, which was sold-out, was described on its Eventbrite page<\/a> as \u201cour biggest event of the year, bringing together Jewish young professionals (ages 22\u201345) and the diplomatic community.\u201d
It was organised by ACCESS, the AJC\u2019s division for young professionals and the theme was \u201cturning pain into purpose\u201d.
Police chief Pamela A Smith earlier said the dead couple, Israeli embassy staff members, were leaving an event.
Police have named the alleged shooter as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago.
This map shows the location of the Capital Jewish Museum, and its proximity to the White House and the Capitol building:
Here are some images from the scene of the shooting:
The Executive Council of Australian Jewry says it is \u201chorrified\u201d by the double murder outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC, describing it as an apparent \u201cact of antisemitic terror\u201d.<\/p>\n

In a statement, the council\u2019s president Daniel Aghion and co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said:<\/p>\n

\u201cOur deepest sympathies are with the families of the dead, with the Israeli diplomatic corps and the American Jewish community. We hope justice is swift and decisive.\u201d
US Speaker Mike Johnson on the shooting:
<\/path><\/svg>I\u2019ve been informed of the tragic shooting that occurred outside of the Capitol Jewish Museum tonight in Washington D.C. We are monitoring the situation as more details become known and lifting up the victim\u2019s families in our prayers.
The Associated Press has been talking to two people who were at the scene. It reports:
<\/path><\/svg>Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and a man came inside looking distressed, they said. Kalin said 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, \u201cFree Palestine,\u2019\u201d Kalin said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis event was about humanitarian aid,\u201d Kalin said. \u201cHow can we actually 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 actually help innocent people?
The shooting comes as Israel\u2019s allies have demanded it allow food and medical aid into Gaza, where it has killed and maimed tens of thousands of Palestinians, mostly women and children, in its war on Hamas.
Late on Wednesday the UN said Israel had allowed in 90 aid trucks \u2013 some of the first since it imposed an extra tight blockade on the occupied territory since March but only a fraction of what is needed to prevent an imminent famine.
Israel has meanwhile kept up its daily attacks on schools, hospitals and shelters, killing and injuring scores of people. The military has also encircled and attacked two of northern Gaza\u2019s last partially functioning hospitals, preventing anyone from leaving or entering the facilities.
One hospital, al Awda, was shelled while an Associated Press journalist was on the phone to its director, the news wire reported on Wednesday.
The shooting also comes after the Israeli military fired what it called \u201cwarning shots\u201d<\/a> near a delegation of foreign diplomats visiting the occupied West Bank, triggering global condemnation.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said he was \u201cdevastated\u201d by the shooting in Washington, which he blamed on antisemitism.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis 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 support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added: \u201cWe stand with the Jewish community in DC and across the US. America and Israel<\/a> will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.\u201d
Attorney general Pam Bondi said she would be doing \u201ceverything in our power\u201d to keep the community safe, especially the Jewish community.
The suspect \u201cwill be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law\u201d she told the press conference.
A bit more from police chief Pamela A Smith. She said that prior to the shooting the suspect had been observed pacing outside the museum. He then approached a group of four people and produced a hand gun before opening fire. He then \u201centered the museum and was detained by event security\u201d.
When he was taken into custody, the suspect began chanting, \u201cFree, free Palestine,\u201d Smith said.
President Donald Trump has sent his condolences to the families of the victims, saying \u201cHatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA\u201d. In a post on his social media platform Truth Social he said:
<\/path><\/svg>These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!
A suspect is in custody following the shooting, which took place shortly after 9pm near the Capital Jewish Museum, police have told a press conference.
Police chief Pamela A Smith said a preliminary investigation showed that both vicitms were exiting an event that had been taking place at the museum when the attack took place. The suspect in custody was believed to be the only person involved.
The mayor of Washington DC, Muriel Bowser, said there was no active shooter situation.
The Israeli ambassador, Yechiel Leiter, has said the pair who were shot were a couple about to be engaged. He said the man had bought a ring this week \u201cwith the intention of proposing next week in Jerusalem.\u201d
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington have been shot and killed Wednesday evening near a Jewish museum, homeland security secretary Kristi Noem said. Police have said a person is in custody.<\/p>\n

Noem announced the deaths in a post on X after the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which is located steps away from the FBI\u2019s field office in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington.<\/p>\n

Danny Danon, Israel\u2019s ambassador to the United Nations, called the shooting a \u201cdepraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.\u201d<\/p>\n

Police offered no details late Wednesday night on a potential motive for the shooting.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,\u201d Danon said in a post on X. \u201cIsrael will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives \u2014 everywhere in the world.\u201d
We will be following the developments live.<\/p>\n

source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Homicides are under investigation, police say during press conference, after fatal shooting of man and womanIsraeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is \u201cshocked by the horrific antisemitic murder\u201d of the two Israeli embassy employees, his office has said in a post on X.The statement said he had spoken with Israeli ambassador Yechiel Leiter and US attorney […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":150546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-150545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-us","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150545"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150545\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/quixnet.net\/wpinstance\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}