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Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead outside Jewish museum in Washington

22.05.2025 12:42
Two employees of the Israeli Embassy in Washington were fatally shot outside the National Museum of American Jewish History. The attack took place as they were leaving a meeting organised by the American Jewish Committee.
A man with an Israeli flag draped on his shoulders near the scene where two people were shot and killed near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, USA, 22 May 2025. According to a social media post by the US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, the two people killed were staff members at the Israeli embassy.
A man with an Israeli flag draped on his shoulders near the scene where two people were shot and killed near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, USA, 22 May 2025. According to a social media post by the US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem, the two people killed were staff members at the Israeli embassy. WILL OLIVER/PAP/EPA

According to Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith, an armed suspect approached the two staff members and opened fire. He then entered the museum, where security personnel quickly detained him.

The suspect, identified as 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, has admitted to the killings and revealed where he discarded the weapon. During his arrest, he reportedly shouted slogans in support of Palestine.

Local authorities and US government officials expressed condolences to the Israeli Embassy and the families of the victims, condemning the violent attack. The investigation is ongoing as officials seek to determine the motive behind the shooting.

Global leaders condemn the shooting

World leaders have strongly condemned the fatal shooting of the Israeli embassy staff. US President Donald Trump said, “These horrific murders, clearly anti-Semitic crimes, must be stopped immediately! There is no place for hatred and radicalism in the United States.”

European leaders echoed this sentiment. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas wrote on social media: “There is and should be no place in our societies for hatred, extremism, or antisemitism.” She extended condolences to the victims’ families and the people of Israel.

Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz described the attack as a “heinous act,” suggesting it had an anti-Semitic motive.

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy called the shooting “antisemitic crime,” offering his sympathies to the victims and their families.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the killings as an “abhorrent act of antisemitic barbarity,” while Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani warned that antisemitism must be stopped to prevent history’s horrors from repeating.

(m p)

Source: IAR/Reuters/AP/X/@bundeskanzler/@DavidLammy/@jnbarrot