Before his arrest, the man accused of fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., stayed inside the venue, posing as a bystander and accepting help from event attendees.
Two Israeli Embassy staffers were shot and killed Wednesday night (May 21, 2025), outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The alleged gunman, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, Illinois, is in custody. Authorities believe he acted alone.
The shooting occurred shortly after an American Jewish Committee event ended around 9 p.m. The suspect was observed pacing outside the museum before he approached a group of four people, pulled out a handgun, and opened fire, according to Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
“After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum and was detained by event security. Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offense. The suspect chanted, ‘Free, free Palestine,’ while in custody,” noted Chief Smith.
According to Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., the victims were a couple, and one had recently purchased a ring with plans to propose in Jerusalem.
Israel’s ambassador to the US says one of the victims had just bought a ring to propose in Jerusalem.
“We won’t be afraid — together we will overcome moral depravity,” Yechiel Leiter said after two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead in Washington.https://t.co/sWkTQ0pm3Y pic.twitter.com/rWFxetPClE
— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 22, 2025
Meanwhile, several eyewitnesses have provided disturbing accounts of the suspect’s behavior before and after the shooting. Sara Marinuzzi, 28, who attended the event, told CNN that the suspect waited with attendees and pretended to be a bystander.
“There were some more shots, and then a guy came running into the center, and the security guards offered him water, trying to comfort him. He was kind of having erratic behavior. They figured he witnessed the shooting,” she said. “I did it, I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!”
Another eyewitness, Jojo Kalin, who organized the event and is a board member of the American Jewish Committee, recounted her encounter with the suspect. Kalin did not witness the shooting but interacted with the man inside the building, noting that he appeared “very distraught” afterward.
“At that point, there was some frenzy and some commotion. The security started locking the doors, and a friend of mine said they let someone in off the street,” Kalin shared.
“He seemed very distressed, so I assumed he was a witness to it, and I offered him water. He said, ‘Yes.’ I went to get him water. The moment I handed him the glass of water, he then whipped out a red Jordanian keffiyeh and said, ‘Free Palestine.’ And then the security ran in, subdued him. They didn’t tackle him, but they got him outside,” she recounted.
Kalin emphasized that she never saw a weapon and only later learned that two people had been killed. “I feel guilty that the people were only here on account of our event. I’m confused as to how, of all the people he could have picked, he found the Israeli embassy workers. It’s clearly a targeted anti-semitic attack, like you’re coming to a Jewish museum.”
Speaking to the BBC, Kalin expressed sorrow and guilt despite not knowing the victims. “I didn’t know the couple who were shot but I do feel a sense of guilt, and it’s a very uniquely Jewish thing to feel guilty for the fact that they were there because of an event I organised and then feeling guilty about my guilt when I shouldn’t be centering myself when people’s lives were just lost.”
She explained that the event itself focused on peace and coalition-building efforts. “I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. And that Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self determination and [it is] just deeply ironic that that’s what we were discussing. It was bridge building and then we were all hit over the head with such hatred.”
Eyewitness Paige Siegel told CNN she unknowingly spoke to the suspect after the shooting. “I went up to him and asked if he was okay as he muttered call the police again and again. He said he was okay. Then I asked if he was shot, he said he wasn’t,” Siegel recalled.
Siegel further expressed, “He was so shaken when I spoke to him that he seemed harmless. Obviously I didn’t know at the time.” She added that once the police arrived, he was apprehended while yelling “Free Palestine!”
Reflecting on the experience, Siegel said, “Here we are, a bunch of Jews lumped in one room for him to pick us off. The terrorist sat on a bench, amongst us.”
Israeli officials responded quickly following the deadly shooting. Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, shared on X that the victims were embassy staff members who were shot at close range during a Jewish event at the Capital Jewish Museum.
She expressed the embassy’s strong trust in both local and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate the crime thoroughly and ensure the safety of Israeli personnel and Jewish communities throughout the United States.
*Spokesperson at the Israeli embassy in Washington Tal Naim Cohen*:
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy were shot this evening at close range while attending a Jewish event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.We have full faith in law enforcement authorities on…
— Tal Naim (@TalNaim_) May 22, 2025
Meanwhile, President Isaac Herzog also addressed the attack, condemning it as an act of deep hatred and antisemitism. He described the victims as young members of the embassy team and extended his sympathies to their families.
The president reaffirmed his support for the embassy and its staff, emphasizing that the people of Israel stand in solidarity with the Jewish community in Washington and across the U.S.
I am devastated by the scenes in Washington DC.
This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy.
Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured.…
— יצחק הרצוג Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) May 22, 2025
He stressed that despite such acts of terror, Israel and America would continue to uphold their shared values and remain united against those who promote violence and hate.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the full circumstances surrounding the attack.
