The shooting happened outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Northwest D.C.
WASHINGTON — A couple soon to be engaged, a man and woman affiliated with the Israeli Embassy, were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Northwest D.C. on Wednesday night.
Elias Rodriguez, 30, hailing from Chicago, was detained by MPD following the shooting incident. Rodriguez is said to have entered the Capital Jewish Museum during an event and shouted “Free, free Palestine,” before police arrested him, as reported by MPD Chief Pamela Smith.
“There is no active threat to the community,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said Wednesday night,
The assailant allegedly fired at four individuals, wounding two who were stationed outside the museum. Early on Thursday, Bowser characterized the incident as an act of terrorism.
“The horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city and in our country, and I want to be clear that we will not tolerate this violence and hate in our city,” Bowser said. “We will not tolerate any acts of terrorism, and we’re going to stand together as a community to send a clear message that we will not tolerate antisemitism.”
Chief Smith described what she said happened after Rodriguez was arrested by MPD.
“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,” Smith said. “The suspected chanted ‘free, free Palestine’ while in custody.”
“Purchased a ring this week.”
The man and woman killed have only been identified as a couple, who were expected to get engaged while in Jerusalem next week.
Yeichel Leiter, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, said the man and woman, who were shot and killed, had been recently engaged.
“The young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem,” Leiter said. “They were a beautiful couple who came to enjoy an evening in Washington’s cultural center.”
Leiter added that he had spoken to President Donald Trump on the phone about the shooting, through Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s cellphone.
“(Trump) told me that his administration is going to do everything he can possibly do to fight and end antisemitism and the hatred that’s being directed — the demonization and the delegitimization of the State of Israel,” Leiter said. “Together with President Trump, our Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will stand together tall and firm and confront this moral depravity without fear.”
MPD was asking people to avoid the area of 3rd and F Streets NW.
The early Thursday morning press conference was the first public appearance by Jeannine Pirro in her new role as Interim US Attorney for D.C. Pirro appeared alongside Bondi, Bowser and Smith. Steve Jensen, the assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office of the FBI, was also at the presser as the bureau was investigating the attack as a hate crime.
“I am on the scene of the horrible shooting outside the Washington, DC Capital Jewish Museum with US Attorney Pirro,” Bondi said. “Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more.”
Nearby university campus placed on lockdown:
Alerts were issued for Georgetown University’s Capitol Campus, which operates some of the school’s law and public policy offices, asking people to avoid the campus. A graduate student at the university’s public policy school told WUSA9 that she had been asked not to leave a university building as police continue to investigate the shooting.
“We got out of class at 9:40, and when we went to leave, the cops and security were downstairs and told us we can’t leave,” the Georgetown student said at 11 p.m. “And they are still here telling us we can’t leave.”
