Israeli couple killed in Washington DC shooting named and pictured
Sarah Hooper
Israel?s embassy in the US has named the couple shot dead in Washington as Yaron and Sarah
Sarah and Yaron were killed outside of the event (Picture: Israel in USA)
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy shot and killed while leaving the capital Jewish museum in Washington, DC, have been named for the first time.
The two victims, named as Yaron and Sarah, were leaving the event in support of Gazans, organised by the American Jewish Committee, when 30-year-old suspect, Elias Rodriguez, approached and opened fire.
The Israeli Embassy shared a photo of the pair and said: ‘They were in the prime of their lives. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.’
Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s US Ambassador, told a news conference that Yaron and Sarah were a ‘beautiful’ soon-to-be engaged couple.
‘The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,’ he said.
Who are the victims?
Yaron and Sarah were a couple who worked at the Israeli embassy (Pictures: LinkedIn)
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.
Sarah’s LinkedIn shows she earned a Master’s in International Affairs from American University and a Master’s in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development from The University for Peace.
She previously worked with the organisation Tech2Peace in Tel Aviv, where she ‘focused on peacebuilding theory, emphasising grassroots initiatives in the Israeli-Palestinian region.’
Sarah wrote: ‘I am eager to contribute to organisations dedicated to bridging divides, promoting religious harmony, and advancing sustainable practices.’
Yaron also worked at the Embassy, focusing on Middle East & North African Affairs, and holds a Master’s Degree in Government, Diplomacy & Strategy from Reichman University in Herzliya and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations & Asian Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
He wrote: ‘I’m an ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords and believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbours and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the State of Israel and the Middle East as a whole.’
How the attack unfolded
METRO GRAPHICS DC Shooting Map
The shooting took place in central DC (Picture: Metro.co.uk)
Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said the suspect was seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security.
Eyewitness Katie Kalisher told the BBC: ‘Around 9.07 pm, we heard gunshots. And then a guy came in looking really distressed. We thought he just needed help.’
Yoni Kalin added: ‘We thought he had experienced the violence or something, that he needed safe shelter.
‘So he comes in, people were calming him down, bringing him water, taking care of him. Little did we know he had executed people in cold blood. He was the shooter.
‘Once police showed up, he said, “I did this. I’m unarmed. He pulls out a red keffiyeh, and he’s like, “I did this for Gaza. Free Palestine, there’s only one solution, intifada revolution,” and he kept yelling, “Free Palestine.”
What does 'intifada' mean?
Intifada is an Arabic word meaning ‘uprising’, but it has also been co-opted by Hamas and their supporters and applied to terror attacks against Israel.
When he was taken into custody, Rodriguez began chanting, ‘free, free Palestine,’ Smith said. Rodriguez had not attended the event.
Event organiser JoJo Klin told the BBC: ‘I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self-determination, and it is 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.’
Chief Smith added that authorities had not had any ‘prior interactions’ with the suspect: ‘We don’t see anything in his background that would have placed him on our radar.”
‘Our joint terrorism task force is working very closely with the FBI to ensure that we can do a deep dive into his background.’
What have political leaders said?
A man, standing behind police tape, talks on his cell phone outside the Capital Jewish Museum following a shooting that left two people dead, in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025. Two Israeli embassy staff members were killed near a Jewish museum in Washington late Wednesday May 21, US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem said. "Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share," she posted on X. (Photo by Alex WROBLEWSKI / AFP) (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
Onlookers were visibly shaken by the event (Picture: AFP)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said security at embassies around the world is going to be increased.
He said: ‘My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were cut short by a heinous antisemitic murderer.’
Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was at the scene with former judge Jeanine Pirro, who serves as the US attorney in Washington.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, called the shooting a ‘depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism’.
‘We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,’ Mr Danon said in a post on X.
‘Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives everywhere in the world.’
President Donald Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social: ‘These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.
‘Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!’
The city’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has said there is no active threat to the community and they would ‘not tolerate this violence or hate in our city.’
Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote: ‘This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered, and our immediate prayers are with the injured.’
Shooting comes amid heightened tensions
TOPSHOT-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT
90% of Gaza’s population has been displaced (Picture: Getty)
The shooting comes as Israel launched a new campaign targeting Hamas in the Gaza Strip in a war that has set tensions aflame across the wider Middle East.
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