2 Israel Embassy staff shot dead at DC Jewish museum

Israeli Embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, killed May 21 outside Washington, D.C.'s Capital Jewish Museum

(Image credit: IsraelinUSA / Twitter / Anadolu via Getty Images)

By Peter Weber, The Week US

published 22 May 2025

What happened

Two young Israeli Embassy workers were fatally shot Wednesday night as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington, D.C. The suspected gunman walked into the museum after the shooting and chanted "free, free Palestine" while being detained by event security, D.C. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference.

Smith said Rodriguez, 31, had been seen pacing outside the museum, where the American Jewish Committee was hosting a reception for young diplomats. Police believe he targeted the event but picked his victims at random, The Washington Post said. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the shooting would "frighten a lot of people" in the U.S. and "we will not tolerate any acts of terrorism" or "violence or hate in our city."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.