Here's what we know about the DC shooting where 2 staff members of the Israeli embassy were killed

WASHINGTON – Two unit members of the Israeli embassy successful Washington were fatally changeable Wednesday evening portion leaving an lawsuit astatine a Jewish museum, and the fishy yelled, “Free, escaped Palestine” aft helium was arrested, constabulary said.

The onslaught was seen by officials successful Israel and the U.S. arsenic the latest successful a increasing question of antisemitism arsenic Israel ramps up its violative successful the Gaza Strip, and arsenic nutrient information experts person warned that Gaza risks falling into famine unless Israel's blockade ends.

Here's what we know:

What happened?

The 2 victims, a antheral and a woman, were leaving an lawsuit astatine the Capital Jewish Museum astir 9:15 p.m. Wednesday erstwhile the fishy approached a radical of 4 radical and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a quality conference.

The fishy was observed pacing extracurricular the depository earlier the shooting, walked into the depository aft the shooting and was detained by lawsuit security, Smith said.

When helium was taken into custody, the fishy began chanting, “Free, escaped Palestine,” Smith said. She said instrumentality enforcement did not judge determination was an ongoing menace to the community.

Who is the suspect?

The fishy has been identified arsenic Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago.

It was not instantly wide whether Rodriguez had an lawyer who could remark connected his behalf. A telephone fig listed successful nationalist records rang unanswered.

He was being interviewed aboriginal Thursday by D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department arsenic good arsenic the FBI. The U.S. lawyer successful Washington volition prosecute the case.

Who are the victims?

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the 2 radical killed were a young mates astir to beryllium engaged, saying the antheral had purchased a ringing this week with the intent to suggest adjacent week successful Jerusalem. Their identities were not instantly made public.

Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio that the pistillate killed was an American worker of the embassy and the antheral was Israeli.

What is Israel's reaction?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau said Thursday that helium was “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting.

“We are witnessing the unspeakable terms of antisemitism and chaotic incitement against Israel,” helium said successful a statement.

Israeli diplomats successful the past person been targeted by violence, some by state-backed assailants and Palestinian militants implicit the decades of the wider Israeli-Palestinian struggle that grew retired of the founding of Israel successful 1948. The Palestinians question Gaza and the West Bank for a aboriginal state, with eastbound Jerusalem arsenic its superior — lands Israel captured successful the 1967 war. However, the bid process betwixt the sides has been stalled for years.

Witnesses to the attack

Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were wrong the depository erstwhile they heard gunshots and a antheral came wrong looking distressed, they said. Kalin said radical came to his assistance and brought him water, reasoning helium needed help, without realizing helium was the suspect. When constabulary arrived, helium pulled retired a reddish keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin said.

“This lawsuit was astir humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How tin we really assistance some the radical successful Gaza and the radical successful Israel? How tin we bring unneurotic Muslims and Jews and Christians to enactment unneurotic to really assistance guiltless people? And past present helium is conscionable murdering 2 radical successful acold blood.”

The influential pan-Arab outer transmission Al Jazeera aired connected a loop what appeared to beryllium mobile telephone footage of the alleged gunman, wearing a suit overgarment and slacks, being pulled distant aft the shooting, his hands down his back.

Israel's caller run successful Gaza

The shooting comes arsenic Israel has launched a caller run targeting Hamas successful the Gaza Strip successful a warfare that has set tensions aflame crossed the wider Middle East. The warfare began with the Palestinian militant radical Hamas coming retired of Gaza connected Oct. 7, 2023, to termination 1,200 radical and instrumentality immoderate 250 hostages backmost to the coastal enclave.

In the clip since, Israel’s devastating run successful Gaza has killed much than 53,000 people, mostly women and children, according to section wellness authorities, whose number doesn’t differentiate betwixt combatants and civilians.

The warring has displaced 90% of the territory’s astir 2 cardinal population, sparked a hunger situation and obliterated immense swaths of Gaza’s municipality landscape. Aid groups ran retired of nutrient to administer weeks ago, and astir of the colonisation of astir 2.3 cardinal relies connected communal kitchens whose supplies are astir depleted.

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