A man and a woman identified as a couple called Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgram were pronounced dead at the scene near the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., after a gunman opened fire.
It’s understood that the victims, who were both said to be Israeli nationals, had been attending a ‘Young Diplomats Reception’ before they were shot when leaving the event.
Rodriguez was later detained following the shooting, which has drawn international condemnation from leaders around the world. He is understood to be the only suspect.
Authorities haven’t officially disclosed a motive for the attack yet.
So, who is Elias Rodriguez? Here’s everything you need to know.
Elias Rodriguez has been identified as a 30-year-old man from Chicago and the alleged shooter behind the recent incident.
Local reports claim that the man had been pacing outside the museum before he opened fire.
Video footage reportedly captured of Rodriguez dressed in a dark jacket and trousers depicted him shouting “free, free Palestine” as he was being taken into custody.
A bystander speaking to Newsweek told the outlet that Rodriguez ran into the building following the attack before he was later apprehended.
“The security guard happened to let this guy in. I guess they were thinking and he was covered in rain, he was clearly in trauma, he was in shock, and some of the people in the event brought him water, they sat him down ‘are you ok? Were you shot? What happened?’ He’s like ‘somebody call the cops.’” the witness said.
What we know about the attack
Reports reveal that the gunman opened fire with a handgun around 9 pm on Wednesday at the Capital Jewish Museum, which is around 1 mile away from the White House.
“Prior to the shooting, the suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum. He approached a group of four people, produced a handgun and opened fire, striking both of our decedents,” said Pamela A Smith, the chief of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The alleged attacker was quickly taken into custody, but two people tragically lost their lives at the scene.
Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives. This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC. The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.
Embassy of Israel to the USA
Around midnight, police confirmed that there was no active threat, confirming they had a suspect in detention. They stopped short of disclosing the shooter’s motive.
Following the attack, Israel’s prime minister revealed plans to increase security at Israeli diplomatic missions around the world.
The Deputy Director of the FBI wrote on social media: “Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.”
Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington D.C. told local media that they would not accept “violence or hate in our city”.
