A suspect in the shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening has been charged with murder and is facing the death penalty. “This is a horrific crime, and

these crimes are not going to be tolerated by me and by this office," U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said in a press briefing. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in

the nation's capital,” she continued. “We're going to continue to investigate this as a hate crime and a crime of terrorism, and we will add additional charges as the evidence

warrants.” Advertisement Advertisement Officials offered updated information on the shooting in the briefing around 5 p.m. local time on Thursday, building on previously released details

the victims were named, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that they were “Israeli Embassy staff.” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S., said at an earlier

briefing around midnight local time that the victims were a young couple about to be engaged who were attending the event as guests. “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They

were in the prime of their lives,” the Israel Embassy to the U.S. posted on X, alongside a photo of the couple. “This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the

Capital Jewish Museum in D.C. 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.” WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE SUSPECT? Authorities have arrested and charged 31-year-old Elias

Rodriguez from Chicago as the sole suspect in connection with the shooting. The suspect was seen pacing back and forth outside the museum building before approaching a group of four people,

producing a handgun and opening fire, D.C. police chief Pamela A. Smith said at the midnight briefing. After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum and, according to an eyewitness

who spoke to CNN, initially claimed to be a witness before admitting that he was the shooter. According to officials, Rodriguez chanted “Free, free Palestine,” before being detained by

event security, which was also captured on video shared on social media. Rodriguez is now in police custody. Smith would not comment on Rodriguez’s motive amid ongoing investigation but said

that Rodriguez was not on police’s radar before the attack. Authorities currently know that Rodriguez was a resident of the Chicago area and came to D.C. for a conference on May 20 that

they believe to be connected with his work, officials said during the Thursday afternoon briefing. Rodriguez worked for the Chicago-based American Osteopathic Information Association (AOIA),

a trade association that works to advance the use of information technology in osteopathic medicine, the organization confirmed in a statement Thursday. “We were shocked and saddened to

learn that an AOIA employee has been arrested as a suspect in this horrific crime,” American Osteopathic Association (AOA) President Teresa A. Hubka and CEO Kathleen S. Creason said. “Both

the AOIA and AOA stand ready to cooperate with the investigation in any way we can. As a physician organization dedicated to protecting the health and sanctity of human life, we believe in

the rights of all persons to live safely without fear of violence.” HOW HAS ISRAEL REACTED? “I am devastated by the scenes in Washington D.C.,” Israel’s President Isaac Herzog posted on X.

“This is a despicable act of hatred, of antisemitism, which has claimed the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy. Our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our

immediate prayers are with the injured. I send my full support to the Ambassador and all the embassy staff. We stand with the Jewish community in D.C. and across the U.S. America and Israel

will stand united in defense of our people and our shared values. Terror and hate will not break us.” Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon described the shooting as “a depraved act of

antisemitic terrorism” in a post on X. “We are confident that the U.S. authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act,” Danon added. “Israel will

continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives—everywhere in the world.” “We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the

State of Israel. Blood libels against Israel have a cost in blood and must be fought to the utmost,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “My heart grieves for the

families of the young beloveds, whose lives were cut short in a moment by an abhorrent antisemitic murderer,” he added. Netanyahu ordered security to be beefed up at Israeli diplomatic

missions around the world and for Israeli representatives, according to the statement. In a later statement on Thursday, Netanyahu drew a connection between the shooting and Hamas's

attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. “Yaron and Sarah weren’t the victims of a random crime. The terrorist who cruelly gunned them down did so for one reason and one reason alone – he wanted

to kill Jews. And as he was taken away, he chanted, 'Free Palestine!'" Netanyahu said. “This is exactly the same chant we heard on October 7th.” The Israeli Prime Minister

condemned the leaders of "France, Britain, Canada, and others" for supporting the recognition of a Palestinian state, while praising Trump and the American people for "their

forthright stand with Israel and with the Jewish people." "Together we'll triumph and will see the victory of civilization over barbarism," he said. “Israeli diplomats

and representatives around the world stand on the frontlines of Israel’s diplomatic efforts—defending the country with their very lives,” Israel’s Foreign Ministry posted on X. We will not

be deterred by terror. We will continue our mission across the globe, with unwavering commitment to represent Israel with pride.” “The people of Israel are resilient people, the people of

the United States of America are resilient people. Together we won’t be afraid,” Leiter said at the midnight briefing. “Together, we’ll stand and we’re going to overcome the moral depravity

of people who think that they’re going to achieve political gains through murder.” HOW HAS THE U.S. RESPONDED? President Donald Trump spoke with Netanyahu Thursday and discussed the

shooting, among other matters, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said at a White House press briefing early Thursday afternoon. She said the President was "saddened and

outraged" over the killings. Netanyahu said in a post on X that Trump expressed sorrow over the shooting and that the Israeli Prime Minister thanked him for his Administration's

efforts to combat antisemitism in the U.S. Leavitt also said she had spoken to Attorney General Pam Bondi Thursday morning and the Justice Department would be “prosecuting the perpetrator

responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law.” “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Hatred and Radicalism

have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!” Leiter said at the earlier briefing that he had spoken

on the phone with Trump, who assured him “his Administration is going to do everything they can possibly do to fight and end antisemitism and the hatred that’s being directed and the

demonization and delegitimization of the state of Israel.” Bondi said she visited the scene of the shooting. “Praying for the victims of this violence as we work to learn more,” Bondi posted

on X. Bondi said at the briefing that she had also spoken to Trump multiple times and that “his prayers are with all of us.” Bondi added that local, state and federal agencies “will be

doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight, our Jewish community.” “We will follow the facts, we will follow the law, and this defendant charged will be

prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Bondi said. Law enforcement agencies in the D.C. area, as well as other U.S. cities including New York and Chicago, announced they were

increasing security at religious institutions following the shooting. Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X: “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members

from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC. Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those

responsible and bring them to justice.” WHAT’S THE STATUS OF THE INVESTIGATION? Rodriguez has been charged with murder of foreign officials, two counts of first-degree murder, discharging a

firearm during a violent crime, and causing a person’s death through the use of that firearm, according to a criminal complaint. He was informed by U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh

during an initial appearance in federal court Thursday that some of the charges against him carry the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison, officials said in the briefing that

afternoon. A preliminary hearing is set for June 18. Rodriguez did not object to remaining detained as the case proceeds, officials said. “We're continuing to investigate and contact

the subjects, associates, his family members and coworkers,” Steve Jensen, the assistant director in charge at the FBI’s Washington Field Office, said during the briefing. “We are also

executing search warrants for his electronic devices, reviewing his social media accounts and all of his internet postings.” Jensen added that authorities are "aware of some writings

that are purported to have been authored by this subject” and are investigating to determine if he is the author. He said there are “gaps” in the investigation, and that the FBI is seeking

assistance from the public in determining where Rodriguez was between landing in the D.C. area on May 20 and being taken into custody May 21. The FBI's Washington field office said in a

post on X Thursday morning that FBI Chicago was “conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity in the Chicago area” in relation to the shooting. All homicides in D.C. are prosecuted

by the U.S. Attorney for D.C., a role held since last week by Pirro, a Trump appointee and former judge and Fox News host. Smith said the police had not received any intelligence prior to

the shooting indicating any type of impending terrorist act or hate crime in D.C. “We have a long history and a lot of practice in our city of working with Jewish organizations around safety

and around protection, and we watch global events, national events and local events,” D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the midnight briefing. “Our organizations work directly with MPD and

MPD responds with additional resources, so I know the chief will spend tonight and tomorrow, and we’ll be talking to all of our organizations, from schools to synagogues to other

organizations.” “There is no active threat in our community,” Bowser added. “What I do know is that the horrific incident is going to frighten a lot of people in our city, and in our

country. I want to be clear that we will not tolerate this violence or hate.” WHAT’S THE WIDER GLOBAL CONTEXT? The shooting comes amid rising tensions over Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza,

which has left an estimated at least 50,000 Palestinians dead and millions more displaced since Oct. 7, 2023. Pro-Palestinian activists and several humanitarian groups, including Amnesty

International and Human Rights Watch, as well as the U.N., have described Israel’s campaign in Gaza as “genocide.” This week, international concerns have heightened over food insecurity in

Gaza, and international condemnation of Israel has increased, particularly after Israel Defense Forces fired “warning shots” near a foreign diplomatic delegation visiting the West Bank. The

D.C. shooting also occurred at a time when the Trump Administration has ramped up its crackdown on antisemitism across the country, though some have criticized the effort as politicized.

Both anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim hate crimes in 42 major U.S. cities rose last year, according to preliminary data collected by California State University, San Bernardino, professor Brian

Levin, who founded the university’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism. Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose 12% and anti-Muslim hate crimes rose 18% from 2023 to 2024, against a general

decline of hate crimes more broadly. It’s not the first time that the Israel embassy in D.C. has been connected to deadly action related to the war in Gaza. In February last year, Aaron

Bushnell, an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force, set himself on fire outside the embassy in an apparent act of protest. WHAT WAS THE EVENT WHERE THE ATTACK TOOK PLACE? The AJC’s annual

“Young Diplomats reception” was billed as an opportunity to bring together Jewish young professionals as well as the D.C. diplomatic community “for an evening dedicated to fostering unity

and celebrating Jewish heritage.” The event was publicly advertised on the AJC’s website, though the location was only given to registered attendees. Last week, the Capital Jewish Museum

became one of several nonprofit beneficiaries in D.C. of a $500,000 grant program to increase its security. The museum was awarded around $30,000 in the grant tied to security concerns

around a new temporary LGBTQ+ exhibit. This year’s theme of the “Young Diplomats reception” was “turning pain into purpose,” and the AJC also invited members of non-governmental

organizations Multifaith Alliance and IsraAID that are responding to humanitarian crises in the Middle East, according to the event invitation. “We are devastated that an unspeakable act of

violence took place outside the venue,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement. “At this moment, as we await more information from the police about exactly what transpired, our attention and

our hearts are solely with those who were harmed and their families.” It’s “deeply ironic,” organizer Jojo Kalin told the BBC, “that what we were discussing was bridge building and then we

were all hit over the head with such hatred.” She added: “I’m not going to lose my humanity over this or be deterred. … Israelis and Palestinians both still deserve self determination.”