Two staff members from the Israeli Embassy left a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night, prompting us and Israeli officials to be shot dead Wednesday night.
Police say a 30-year-old man from Chicago, Illinois, known as Elias Rodriguez, has been arrested. He is the only suspect.
President Donald Trump condemned the shooting as "terrible" and pointed out that there is no "hate" in the United States. Israeli President Isaac Herzog said what he was carrying out on the U.S. capital was “destroyed.”
"It was a mean act of hatred, and anti-Semitism took the lives of two young employees of the Israeli embassy," he said.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said federal authorities are investigating the attack and bringing its "degenerate perpetrator" to justice.
Here's what we know so far:
Officials had multiple calls about shootings near the capital's Jewish Museum around Wednesday (01:00 GMT).
The victim, a man and a woman, was leaving the event at the museum, located on Third Street and F Street in northwest Washington, D.C., near the FBI Field Office and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office, when the suspect approached a group of four, opened a group of people, opened a group of people, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said in a press conference.
First responders found the victim unconscious rather than breathing. Both were declared dead despite efforts to save lives.
According to police, the suspect entered the museum after the shooting and was detained by security personnel during the event.
"Once handcuffed, the suspect determined the location where he abandoned the weapon and had recovered the weapon, and he implied that he had committed the crime," Smith said.
The two were named Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim by the Israeli embassy in Washington, DC.
Both are staff. Israeli ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter told reporters that the young employees are "coming soon".
"The young man bought a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend in Jerusalem next week," Wright revealed.
The suspect was identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, Illinois.
Al Jazeera's Heidi-Zhou Castro reported from a nearby shooting that the suspect was previously out of the scope of local authorities.
"He is not a known entity. Before this happened, there was no alarm increase."
So far, police have not confirmed any motives.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar spoke on Thursday since the Israeli attack led by Hamas in October 2023.
When the suspect Elias Rodriguez was detained, he began chanting: "Free, free Palestine," said Police Chief Smith.
Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Graduate Research Institute, said the attacks were "bad" and were condemned regardless of political ideology.
"You have the Trump administration, Israel and some of their supporters come out and say it's an anti-Semitism...it's probably that's it, it's just a naked anti-Semitic hatred, and it should obviously be condemned," he said.
“However, it is also possible that Mr. Rodriguez would have committed such vigilant violence against the State of Israel, or that he is frustrated with genocide (in Gaza) or Israel’s apartheid policies, against these embassy staff on staff at these embassy staff.
"These terrible DC killings are clearly based on anti-Semitism and must end now!" President Trump posted on social media earlier Thursday.
"Hate and activism have no place in the United States. Condolences to the victim's families. Sadly, such things can happen! God bless everyone!"
Israeli officials also strongly condemned the incident, calling it a "despicable act of hatred." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the shooting: “We have witnessed the horrible price of anti-Semitism and the wild incitement of the State of Israel.
"I have directed to strengthen security arrangements for Israeli missions around the world and increase protection for state representatives," Netanyahu said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the shooting "a heinous act" in an article on X, adding: "We must assume there is an anti-Semitic motivation."
Police Smith said law enforcement does not see an ongoing threat to the community at present.
FBI Director Kash Patel said he and his team had briefed the shooting.
He wrote on X: "Pray for the victims and their families as we work with (Metropolitan Police) to deal with it and learn more."
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told reporters that her administration does not tolerate “violence or hatred in our city.”
“We will not tolerate any acts of terrorism and in the next few days and weeks we will stand together as a community to convey a clear message that we will not tolerate anti-Semitism,” Ball said.
The shooting was due to Israel's launch of a new military campaign in Gaza to control all areas while continuing to impose an 11-week aid lockdown and was widely condemned.
Many world leaders, including allies, have demanded that Israel end the war and allow aid to war-affected territory or face punitive actions.