6 hours ago
2
Witness describes Jewish Museum shooting
A pistillate who attended an lawsuit Wednesday astatine the Capital Jewish Museum successful Washington, D.C., wherever two Israeli Embassy unit members were changeable and killed outside, said she encountered the alleged shooter aft the incident.
Katie Kalisher said the lawsuit astatine the depository was wrapping up erstwhile she heard gunshots.
"Then this antheral comes successful … but helium was covered successful rainfall and conscionable looking truly distressed and scared," Kalisher said. "We were comforting him due to the fact that we thought that helium was conscionable idiosyncratic retired successful the thoroughfare looking for a harmless spot to enactment due to the fact that helium heard immoderate gunshots."
She was unknowingly speaking with Elias Rodriguez, the suspected shooter.
"I'm conscionable trying to unbend him, and I asked him, 'So, bash you similar the museum?' And he's benignant of playing dumb with me," she said astir the interaction. "He goes, 'Oh, what benignant of depository is this?' I told him, 'It's a Jewish museum.' He asked, 'Do you deliberation that's wherefore they did this attack' … referring to the rounds that we heard."
Kalisher said astatine first, she didn't marque the connection.
"Like of people that astir apt is what happened. Jews are truthful often the victims of antisemitic attacks similar this. But I was like, 'No, I don't deliberation it is,' but like, 'Are you okay?'"
At that infinitesimal Rodriguez, 30, claimed helium was liable for the attack, Kalisher said.
"He reaches into his container and pulls retired a keffiyeh and says, 'I did it. I did it for Gaza.' And, conscionable starts shouting, 'Free Palestine.'"
Police past arrested Rodriguez.
"Early indicators are that this is an enactment of targeted violence," Dan Bongino, lawman manager of the FBI, said successful a station connected societal media.
The event, the AJC ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception, was hosted by the American Jewish Committee.
"We were having a sheet talk astir however groups are moving unneurotic wrong Gaza to bring assistance determination truthful groups that are Israeli, Jewish, Christian, Muslim from each implicit the satellite are moving unneurotic to beryllium capable to supply that much-needed humanitarian assistance to the radical truly successful need. And unfortunately, that lawsuit was ruined by this horrific attack," Kalisher said.
Kalisher said it's not the archetypal clip she had idiosyncratic acquisition of antisemitism herself.
"I've been kicked retired of cheery nightclubs successful D.C. for wearing a prima of David necklace, and arsenic a lesbian, it's beauteous unspeakable to beryllium ostracized by my ain community," she said. "So unfortunately, this is conscionable thing that I've seen earlier and I'll astir apt spot again. Antisemitism successful this state is retired of control."
The Anti-Defamation League precocious released its audit of antisemitic attacks successful 2024. It recorded 9,354 antisemitic incidents crossed the U.S. past year, a 5% summation from 2023 and a 344% summation implicit the past 5 years.
"It is the highest fig connected grounds since ADL began tracking antisemitic incidents 46 years ago," the ADL said successful its audit.
What we cognize astir the victims
Officials person identified the 2 victims killed successful the onslaught arsenic a mates named Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim.
In a station connected X, the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, "We are shocked and horrified this greeting by the quality of the brutal violent onslaught that claimed the lives of 2 of our Embassy unit members successful Washington — Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. May their representation beryllium a blessing."
The two, who met portion surviving successful Jerusalem, were readying to get engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S.
"No words tin explicit the extent of our grief and fearfulness astatine this devastating loss," the Israeli Embassy said successful a statement connected societal media. "Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy volition beryllium by their broadside during this unspeakable time."
This photograph taken from the authoritative Facebook relationship of The Embassy of Israel to the United States of America, shows an undated representation of Israeli Embassy employees Yaron Lischinsky (R) and Sarah Lynn Milgrim taken astatine an undefined location.
The Embassy of Israel to the United States of America/AFP via Getty Images
Kelsie Hoffman is simply a propulsion and level exertion connected CBS News' Growth and Engagement team. She antecedently worked connected Hearst Television's National Desk and arsenic a section TV newsman successful Pennsylvania and Virginia.
English (US) ·