WASHINGTON, USA – US authorities managed to capture the alleged perpetrator of the brutal murder of two employees of the Israeli embassy in the United States, which occurred on Wednesday night near the Jewish Museum of Washington.
The victims, identified as Yaron Lisinsky, 28, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were a couple and worked as diplomatic staff at the Israeli legation. According to official sources, both had left an event organized by the American Jewish Committee when they were shot in the street, at the intersection of 3rd and F streets, in the northwest of the capital.
The suspect, Elías Rodríguez, 30 years old and a resident of Chicago, was arrested immediately after the attack. During his detention, he allegedly shouted the slogan “Free Palestine,” according to videos shared on social media. The police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime with antisemitic motivations, although a conclusive official report has not yet been issued.
The head of the Metropolitan Police Department, Pamela Smith, reported at a press conference that the attacker acted alone. He was seen loitering around the museum before approaching a group of people, firing his weapon, and then entering the building, where he was subdued by security personnel.
You can also read: Yaron and Sarah, the young couple from the Israeli embassy in the US, shot dead in Washington
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, was one of the first to speak out: “This senseless act of violence has taken two innocent lives. We are working hard to clarify the facts.”
Various figures have condemned the attack. Former President Donald Trump called it a “clearly antisemitic act” and called for the eradication of radical hatred in the U.S. For his part, the President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, expressed his dismay and called the act a “despicable act of hatred.” He affirmed that neither terror nor antisemitic incitement will subdue the spirit of the Israeli people.
The attack occurs in a context marked by international tensions, while the Israeli military offensive in Gaza continues, and has generated alarm in diplomatic circles about the security of their delegations abroad.
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As investigations proceed, the capture of Rodríguez has been received as a first step towards justice by the victims’ families and the international community.
