D.C. Jewish Museum shooting shows signs of ‘targeted violence’

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More details emerged Thursday about the young couple shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington late Wednesday, as authorities continued to investigate the shooting by a gunman who chanted “free, free Palestine.”

The victims, who worked for the Israeli Embassy, were identified as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, according to Israel’s X account. Lischinsky and Milgrim were “in the prime of their lives” and planning to get married, said the Israeli Embassy and its spokeswoman Tal Naim. “Instead of walking you down the aisle, we are walking with you to your graves,” Naim wrote Thursday on X.

Milgrim completed a degree in international relations and Asian studies in 2021, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said. Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, said Lischinsky had recently bought a ring and planned to propose to Milgrim.

Lischinsky was a research assistant in the Israeli Embassy’s political department and Milgrim organized missions and visits to Israel, Israeli government officials said Thursday. A spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Berlin confirmed that Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen. A German official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to follow protocol, confirmed that the “male victim had a German passport.”

The two were shot just after 9 p.m. as they were leaving an event organized by the young professional group of the American Jewish Committee, a pro-Israel advocacy group that “confronts antisemitism.” Attendees heard from speakers who worked for organizations doing work on humanitarian crises in the Middle East and North Africa.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media that “early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.” The suspect allegedly focused on the event but not on specific people before coming to the museum, according to a person familiar with the investigation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

The suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was detained inside the museum after Lischinsky and Milgrim were shot outside, police said. Both victims were pronounced dead at the scene.

At a news conference, D.C. Police Chief Pamela A. Smith said the shooter approached four people and opened fire using a handgun. Before the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside the museum, she said.

Rodriguez was charged federally and is expected to appear in U. S. District Court later Thursday, according to a D.C. Superior Court spokesman.

Steven J. Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Washington field office, said at the news conference that the shooting will be investigated as a possible hate crime, and Israeli officials on Thursday referred to the killings as a “terrorist” attack motivated by antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments.

Early Thursday, police tape still closed off the area around the museum, shutting off 3rd and F Streets NW for a block in every direction. The museum is in a part of downtown D.C. that includes several large federal office buildings. Rush-hour traffic had come to a notable and eerie standstill as cars were routed around the scene.

“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” the Israeli Embassy in Washington wrote on X, adding: “No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.”

Nissim Otmazgin, dean of humanities at the Hebrew University, said Lischinsky spoke four languages and grew up in Germany until the age of 16. Otmazgin, who was Lischinsky’s professor in two classes, said Lischinsky wanted to become a diplomat. Lischinsky was accepted into a master’s program in diplomacy at Reichman University, and then he began working at the Israeli embassy, Otmazgin said.

“He aspired to build connections with other countries – he directed himself toward that path,” Otmazgin said. “He was beginning to fulfill his dream.” Otmazgin said Lischinsky “believed he could contribute to the field of Israel’s relations with Asia.”

“He understood the growing power of Asia, a region that is becoming increasingly important to Israel’s future,” Otmazgin said. “He felt that in Israel, we don’t know Asia well enough.”

Milgrim graduated with “highest distinction” in spring 2021 with a bachelor of arts in environmental studies and a minor in anthropology from the University of Kansas, according to a spokesperson for the university.

According to Milgrim’s LinkedIn profile, she had two master’s degrees, including one in international affairs from American University and another in natural resources and sustainable development from the University of Peace. She wrote of working in Tel Aviv and said, “my passion lies at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work.”

In a statement Wednesday, the Jewish Federation of Greater Washington wrote: “We are horrified by the shooting that occurred this evening outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC and mourn the loss of the two individuals killed in the attack. Our hearts are with their families and loved ones, and with all of those who are impacted by this tragic act of antisemitic violence.”