WASHINGTON, D.C. Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were fatally shot outside the Lillian & Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum on the evening of May 21, 2025. The victims, a young couple soon to be engaged, were leaving a humanitarian-focused event hosted by the American Jewish Committee when the attack occurred around 9:08 p.m.
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, was apprehended at the scene by event security. Witnesses reported that upon arrest, Rodriguez chanted “Free, free Palestine!” and displayed a red keffiyeh, suggesting a political motive. Authorities, including the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI, are investigating the incident as a potential hate crime or act of terrorism.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog, condemned the attack as an act of antisemitic terrorism. President Herzog stated, “Israel and the U.S. will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.”
U.S. President Donald Trump also denounced the killings, labeling them as “obviously based on antisemitism.” Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have vowed to prosecute the suspect to the fullest extent of the law.
The Capital Jewish Museum, which opened in June 2023, serves as a cultural and historical center dedicated to Jewish life in the nation’s capital. This tragic event has heightened concerns over rising antisemitism and the safety of Jewish institutions in the United States.
As the investigation continues, both Israeli and U.S. authorities are working closely to ensure justice is served and to address the broader implications of this heinous act.
Edgaroo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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