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Summary

  • Two Israeli embassy staff have been shot dead leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC, officials say

  • Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky were a couple and "in the prime of their lives" before they were killed, Israel's embassy in the US says

  • The suspect has been detained and identified by police as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago - here's what we know about him

  • Police say he shouted "free Palestine" after being taken into custody, and officers will "look into ties to potential terrorism"

  • US President Trump says the attack is "so sad" and "based obviously on antisemitism"

  • Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says security will be increased at Israeli embassies worldwide, while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar said the shooting was a "direct result of toxic, antisemitic incitement against Israel and Jews around the world"

Media caption,

Watch: BBC talks to witnesses who saw gunman inside Jewish museum

  1. Where did the fatal shooting take place?published at 09:23 British Summer Time

    As we've been reporting, two Israeli embassy staff have been shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.

    The incident happened in the heart of the US capital, less than a mile from Capitol Hill and about 1.3 miles (2km), from the White House.

    Map showing where in Washington DC Wednesday's shooting took place. Map shows Capital Jewish Museum and how close it is to the White House and Capitol Hill.
  2. Israeli foreign ministry confirms identity of victimspublished at 09:18 British Summer Time

    The Israeli foreign ministry has confirmed the full names of the victims: Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.

    It says both were embassy staff in Washington DC.

    "We embrace the grieving families during this painful time and will continue to them always," it says in a statement on social media.

  3. BBC correspondent reports from the scene on what we know so farpublished at 09:06 British Summer Time

    Our North America correspondent Nomia Iqbal is outside the cordon around the Jewish museum in Washington DC where the shooting happened.

    She’s giving us a quick overview of what took place, and she’s also spoken to the organiser of the event the two victims had been at before the shooting.

    Watch below.

    Media caption,

    Watch: BBC at the scene of shooting outside Jewish museum

  4. 'They were nice, popular people', Washington rabbi tells BBCpublished at 08:51 British Summer Time

    Levi Shemtov is a rabbi in Washington who met the couple who were shot dead.

    He tells the BBC's Radio 4's Today programme that he saw the couple at Jewish events in the city.

    They were "nice people, popular" people he says, and this is "brutal news".

    Jewish community organisations have beefed up their security in recent years, he says, and "especially after 7 October", when Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages.

    The attack triggered a massive Israeli military offensive in Gaza, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.

    "We have armed guards at [synagogue] services every week," Shemtov says, adding that they will be increasing security even more now.

  5. Israel embassy releases names of couple shot deadpublished at 08:40 British Summer Time
    Breaking

    Yaron and Sarah smilingImage source, Embassy of Israel to the USA

    Israel’s embassy in the US has named the couple shot dead in Washington as Yaron and Sarah.

    Israeli media reports their full names are Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.

    The victims “were in the prime of their lives,” the embassy posts on X, external. “A terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC,” it says.

    The embassy says its staff are “heartbroken and devastated” by the murder.

    “No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”

  6. Watch: Suspect shouted 'free Palestine' moment he was arrestedpublished at 08:21 British Summer Time

    This is the moment the suspect was detained after the shooting in Washington DC.

    The man can be heard shouting "free Palestine" as he is led away.

    As we've reported, police have named 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago as the only suspect.

    Media caption,

    Watch: Moment Jewish Museum shooting suspect is detained

  7. Victims attended cocktail evening at Jewish museumpublished at 08:10 British Summer Time

    Jake Kwon
    North America correspondent

    The event the victims attended at the Capital Jewish Museum was billed as a cocktail evening for young Jewish professionals to foster unity and celebrate Jewish heritage.

    Its organiser, American Jewish Committee, says it was open to those in the DC diplomatic community. The event's theme was d as "turning pain into purpose".

    The event description said it invited as special guests humanitarian aid organisers responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, including Gaza.

    While the event's hours were publicly d, its location was only shared with those who signed up to attend.

  8. Event organiser says attacker returned to museum after shootingpublished at 07:53 British Summer Time

    We've been hearing more from Jojo Kalin, who organised the American Jewish Committee event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington DC.

    She tells the BBC Today programme she saw the attacker inside the building, looking "very distraught" after the shooting.

    "The security let this person in thinking that they were a bystander or witness," she says.

    Jojo gave him some water because he seemed distressed, but she didn’t see a weapon.

    At that point, "he whips out his red Jordanian keffiyeh and he yells Free Palestine."

    She says the event was about building coalitions in the Middle East, and it's "deeply ironic that what we were discussing was bridge building and then we were all hit over the head with such hatred".

  9. Netanyahu says security to increase at Israeli missions worldwidepublished at 07:37 British Summer Time

    A file photo of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - he is photographed side on walking while wearing a suitImage source, Reuters

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says security will be increased for Israeli representatives and at diplomatic missions worldwide.

    "My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer," he says. "We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against the state of Israel."

    A statement from the prime minister's office says he has spoken with US Attorney General Pam Bondi and Israel's ambassador in the country.

  10. Analysis

    Trump quick to blame attack on antisemitismpublished at 07:21 British Summer Time

    Jake Kwon
    North America correspondent

    U.S. President Donald TrumpImage source, Reuters

    Donald Trump and his top officials took to social media after news of the shooting broke, vowing to fight antisemitism.

    The word has frequently appeared in his communication as well as official orders since his return to office. When he went after America's elite universities, including suspending federal funding for Harvard, it was in response to the pro-Palestinian protests that swept university campuses last year.

    He accused the institutions of failing to protect Jewish students and allowing antisemitism to run rampant.

    However, Trump's critics have accused him of simply using antisemitism as a pretext to purge the universities of his opponents and bolster his .

    Last month a group of Jewish Democratic senators sent a letter to Trump condemning his "attacks against universities" which they said "seem to go far beyond combating antisemitism".

  11. Images show police at scene after shootingpublished at 07:06 British Summer Time

    It's been about five hours since the shooting, which happened at around 21:05 local time, or 02:05 BST.

    Below are pictures showing the scene in the hours afterwards, with the area cordoned off and a large police presence.

    A policeman holds up police tape at the scene to allow a police car to drive underneath. Other officers and police vehicles can be seen behindImage source, EPA
    A person draped in an Israeli flag which had a small red cross which says 'Jesus' on it. They kneel at the scene with a police car, officers and police tape in front of themImage source, EPA
    Police officers stand at the scene, with the lights of emergency vehicles lighting the scene red and blueImage source, EPA
    Two police officers stand at the scene, with their vehicle behind them and the street marked off by police tape. Unlike the other pictures, the street is very emptyImage source, AFP via Getty Images
  12. Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead – what we know and what we don'tpublished at 06:50 British Summer Time

    U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter speak to the law enforcement officials as they visit the site where, according to the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary, two Israeli embassy staff were shot dead near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.CImage source, Reuters

    It's now almost 02:00 in Washington DC and 07:00 in London.

    As we've been reporting, two Israeli embassy staff have been shot dead. Here's what we know so far:

    • The shooting took place outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington DC
    • Two staff from the Israeli embassy, a young couple, were shot at close range as they left an event - the organiser says the event was focused on helping people in Gaza
    • Police have named Elias Rodriguez from Chicago as the only suspect
    • He wasn't on their radar before this incident
    • Officers say the suspect has "implied that he committed the offence" and chanted "free Palestine, free Palestine" while in custody
    • US President Donald Trump has condemned the killings, posting on Truth Social that they were "obviously based on antisemitism"

    What we don’t know:

    • The victims' names haven't been officially released
    • The exact motive of the attacker is still unclear
    • We don't have more details about his background yet
  13. Suspect 'implied that he committed the offence', says DC police chiefpublished at 06:34 British Summer Time

    Media caption,

    Watch: DC police chief details how Jewish museum shooting unfolded

    More from the police news conference.

    Head of the Metropolitan Police in DC Pamela Smith tells reporters that once the suspect Elias Rodriguez was in handcuffs, he identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered.

    After that, "he implied that he committed the offence," Smith says.

  14. Suspect was not on our radar, says DC police chiefpublished at 06:23 British Summer Time

    DC Metropolitan Police chief Pamela Smith

    We're getting more details from the police news conference we mentioned earlier.

    "We have not had any prior interactions" with the suspect, says DC Metropolitan Police chief Pamela Smith.

    Smith tells reporters: "We don't see anything in his background that would have placed him on our radar."

    "Our t terrorism task force is working very closely with the FBI to ensure that we can do a deep dive into his background."

  15. Israel president 'devastated' by 'act of hatred'published at 06:15 British Summer Time

    Israeli President Isaac HerzogImage source, Getty Images

    Israel's President Isaac Herzog has responded, saying he is "devastated" by the shooting.

    "This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism," he writes on X. "Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured."

    He adds that he sends his "full " to staff at the embassy and stands with the Jewish community in the US.

    "America and Israel will stand united in defence of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us," he writes.

  16. Two victims were a young couple - Israeli ambassadorpublished at 06:00 British Summer Time

    Emergency vehicles are seen in the distance as FBI agents guard the scene outside the Capital Jewish Museum following a shootingImage source, Getty Images

    The two people killed were a young couple about to be engaged, Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the US told a news conference a short while ago.

    "The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem.

    "They were a beautiful couple,” Leiter says.

  17. Suspect chanted 'free Palestine' after arrest, say policepublished at 05:50 British Summer Time

    A bit more information from the news conference in Washington DC earlier.

    The suspect - who police have identified as Elias Rodriguez - chanted "free Palestine" while in custody, Washington police chief Pamela Smith said.

    Steve Jensen, assistant director of the FBI's Washington Field Office, added that an investigation into the homicides will "look into ties to potential terrorism" and if the motive of the attack was based on a "hate crime".

    He called the shooting "heinous".

    Return to the latest post
  18. What we know about the suspectpublished at 05:40 British Summer Time

    Police have named Elias Rodriguez as the sole suspect at a news conference.

    The 30-year-old Chicago man was seen "pacing back and forth outside of the museum" where the shooting took place, they said.

    He approached a group of four people and produced a handgun, at which point he shot both victims.

    Rodriguez is now being held in custody and DC Mayor Bowser has said there is "no active threat in our community".

  19. Event was focused on how to help Gazans, says organiserpublished at 05:37 British Summer Time

    Nomia Iqbal
    North America correspondent

    Jojo Kalin is the board member of the American Jewish Committee who organised the event tonight. She didn’t witness the shooting or even hear the shots, and is shaken by what happened.

    “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.”

    The event was largely focused on how to build a coalition to help Gazans.

    “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 hide with such hatred.“

    A woman in a suit and glasses looks into the camera. She wears two necklaces.
    Image caption,

    Jojo Kalin says she didn't hear the shots and is shaken by what happened.

  20. 'Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA' - Trumppublished at 05:28 British Summer Time

    US President Donald Trump has condemned the killings and suggested they were driven by antisemitism.

    "These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA," he wrote on Truth Social, a platform he founded.

    "Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!" Trump wrote.