Who are the victims of the deadly attack on two Israeli embassy employees in Washington DC?
Yaron Lischinsky had bought a ring this week to propose to his girlfriend Sarah Lynn Milgrim on their upcoming planned trip to Jerusalem. But both Israeli embassy employees in Washington were shot dead as they left an event at the Jewish Museum in the US capital last Wednesday.
According to police, the victims were shot by a man who, while detained, shouted, "I did this for Gaza. Free Palestine!" His name is Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago. The FBI is investigating whether his motivation was terrorism or a hate crime.
On Thursday, Rodriguez was charged with intentional homicide and other charges including murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a violent crime.
Police responded to the scene after receiving several calls and found an unconscious man and woman who were not breathing and died shortly afterward. According to the Metropolitan Police Department, the couple was leaving the event at the museum, which is located on 3rd Street NW, an area with numerous tourist attractions, museums, and government buildings, including the FBI's Washington office.
Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect was seen wandering outside the museum before opening fire with a handgun on a group of four people.
Videos of the incident obtained by authorities show that after she fell to the ground after being shot, the assailant approached and shot again. Seeing Milgrim crawling on the ground, he chased her and shot her again. He then reloaded his gun and, seeing that Milgrim had managed to sit up, fired several more shots. He then entered the museum, where, seeing him "looking very distressed," some people approached him to offer help.
"Around 9:07 p.m., we heard gunshots, and then a man came in who seemed very distressed. We thought he needed help and a safe haven," Katie Kalisher, one of the attendees, told the BBC. According to Yoni Kalin, who was also present at the event, "People were calming him down, giving him water, caring for him. We didn't know it was someone who had executed in cold blood."
"He was the shooter. When the police arrived, he said, 'I did it. I'm unarmed.' He took out a red kufiya (the Palestinian headscarf) and said, 'I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine! There's only one solution: the Intifada Revolution.' And he kept shouting, 'Free Palestine!'" Kalin recounted.
What is known about the suspect?
The FBI believes Rodriguez traveled to Washington, D.C., for a work conference the day before the attack. Steven J. Jensen, assistant director of the FBI's Washington office, said the agency had no prior information about Rodriguez, but investigators are reviewing his social media accounts and contacting people associated with him.
Online records reviewed by BBC Verify indicate the alleged killer had been working at the American Osteopathic Information Association since last year. Prior to that, he is believed to have worked as a researcher at HistoryMakers, a Chicago-based educational and research institution, according to a LinkedIn profile and the institution's website.
Social media accounts likely belonging to Rodriguez indicate he was deeply involved in the Palestinian movement. According to a BBC Verify report, he was linked to a small communist group called the Party for Socialism and Liberation in 2017.
The group stated on X that Rodriguez had a brief relationship with a branch of their supporters and that they hadn't had contact with him in seven years. They claimed they have nothing to do with this shooting and don't support him.
Who were the victims?
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim worked at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, where the staff "is heartbroken and devastated by their murder."
"There are no words to express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts go out to their families, and the embassy will be with them in this terrible time," the diplomatic delegation stated. Both were "in the prime of their lives," the embassy lamented.
Lischinsky, 28, worked in the embassy's political department, while Milgrim, 26, had been with the public diplomacy department for a year and a half. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen born in Germany, served three years in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), and held a master's degree in diplomacy and government strategy from Reichsmann University.
On LinkedIn, he described himself as "proud to call Jerusalem and Nuremberg home" and eager to "expand the circle of peace with our Arab neighbor." According to his LinkedIn profile, Milgrim holds a master's degree in international studies from American University and a master's degree in natural resources and sustainable development from the United Nations University for Peace, as well as a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas.
For the German-Israeli Society, Lischinsky will be remembered as "an open-minded, intelligent, and deeply committed person" who "illuminated the world around him."
Ronen Shoval, who met him at an adult education center in Jerusalem, described him to the BBC as "a very devout Christian," adding: "Many people wanted to understand his origins. He was a very devout Christian."
Jenny Havemann, another friend who met him through the German-Israeli youth group, explained that "Yaron was part of a Christian Zionist group and was very interested in bringing Germans and Israelis together." Meanwhile, Tech2Peace, an advocacy group that empowers Palestinian and Israeli youth and promotes dialogue between them, said Milgrim was an active volunteer who "brought people together with empathy and determination." "His dedication to building a better future was evident in everything he did," she said. "We will deeply miss his voice and spirit."
The young couple was on the verge of engagement, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the United States. "The young man bought a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem," he declared at a press conference. "They made a beautiful couple."
Rabbi Levi Shemtov, who met the couple at several Jewish events in the capital, said they were "friendly and popular people."
What event were they attending?
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were attending an event at the Jewish Museum in the US capital that aimed to bring together young Jewish professionals and the diplomatic community.
The organizer, the American Jewish Committee (AJC), stated that it was open to members of Washington's diplomatic community. The event's theme was "Turning Pain into Purpose."
The event description indicated that humanitarian aid organizations responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, including the Gaza Strip, had been invited. The program was publicly announced, but the location was only communicated to those who had registered.
The CJE's executive director called the incident a "painful moment." "This is a shocking act of violence, and our community comes together even more strongly tonight," said Ted Deutch. "We mourn with the families of the victims, their loved ones, and all of Israel. May their memory be a blessing." The American Jewish Committee is a global advocacy group for the Jewish people.
One of the attendees, Katie Kalisher, told Reuters that the event provided an opportunity to hear a panel discuss how different organizations and religions from around the world "are working together to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza." "Christians, Muslims, Jews, Israelis, and people of every other faith are working together to help innocent Palestinians," she explained.
How Trump and Israel Have Responded
US President Donald Trump condemned the attack, calling it antisemitic. "These horrific murders in Washington, D.C., obviously rooted in antisemitism, must end now! Hate and radicalism have no place in America. Our deepest condolences to the families of the victims. It's so sad that things like this can happen! May God bless you all," he said in a post on his Truth Social platform.
US Vice President J.D. Vance expressed his deep consternation at the two people killed at the Jewish Museum in Washington on Wednesday night. "Anti-Semitic violence has no place in the United States," he added.
From Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed outrage at the horrific anti-Semitic murder of the victims. "My condolences go out to the families of the beloved young people, whose lives were cut short in an instant by an abominable anti-Semitic murderer," he declared. "I have ordered increased security at Israeli missions around the world and for representatives of the State."
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the couple's deaths were "a direct result of the toxic and antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world that has been ongoing since the October 7 massacre."
Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, 2023, in which some 1,200 people were killed and another 251 taken hostage. Since then, Israeli airstrikes on the Strip have killed at least 53,475 people, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.