() Jewish and city leaders from Chicago are slated to discuss the Wednesday night shooting of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C.
The 9 a.m. CT news conference will be livestreamed from this story when it begins. Expected speakers include the Anti-Defamation League Midwest, Chicago Alderwoman Debra Silverstein and city council.
Israel embassy staff shooting: What to know
The suspected shooter, Elias Rodriguez, lived and worked in Chicago. Rodriguez allegedly shot and killed Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, a couple soon to be engaged, outside the Capitol Jewish Museum on Wednesday.
Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest and told police that he was the one who “did it,” according to charging documents. He’s been charged with first-degree murder.
Jewish missions across the nations heightened their security in the wake of the killings. The U.S. ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called the shooting a “gut-punch” to Israel on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.”
President Donald Trump, who appointed Huckabee ambassador to Israel, wrote on social media, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA.”
The shooting comes after Israel launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip. The United Nations said no aid entering Gaza in the past week has reached Palestinians as hospitals are overwhelmed with malnourished children.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
