Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot dead outside a Jewish museum in downtown Washington by a man who shouted “Free, Free Palestine” after the attack.

District of Columbia police said the victim, a young couple, was shot dead while leaving the event at the capital Jewish Museum, adding that the incident appeared to be targeted.

The shooting occurred at 21:05 local time (01:05 GMT), and the area has many tourist attractions, museums and government buildings, including the FBI's Washington Field Office.

Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said he walked into the museum after the suspect detained by authorities opened fire.

Chief Smith said at a press conference that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was paced outside the museum and then opened fire at a group of four - killing the couple.

She added that the police "had no previous interactions with the suspect".

“We can’t see anything in his background that would put him on our radar.”

Israeli-based Yechiel Leiter shared at the meeting the couple's plan to get engaged.

Mr Wright said the male victim had purchased a ring this week and planned to propose on a planned trip to Jerusalem. The victim's name has not been released yet.

"We heard gunfire and then one person looked painful. We thought he needed help," Katie Kalisher told the BBC, referring to the suspect.

Jojo Kalin, a board member of the American Jewish Council, helped organize the event, saying she did not witness the shooting but felt "inner" about what happened.

"I will not lose humanity or be threatened about it. Both Israelis and Palestinians deserve self-determination and (this is something we are discussing, it is a deep irony."

US President Donald Trump believes that the killing is driven by anti-Semitism.

He wrote on the Truth Social Platform: "These terrible DC killings are clearly based on anti-Semitism and must end now! Hate and activism have no place in the United States."

"We will track down those responsible and bring them to justice," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an article on X.

The Israeli ambassador to the United Nations called the incident a "degenerate anti-Semitism act."

Ambassador Danny Danon wrote on X: “The harm of diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing the red line.

The incident sparked a major response from police and closed several core streets of the city.

Tal Naim Cohen, spokesman for the Israeli embassy, ​​confirmed that two staff members were shot and killed while attending the event at the museum.

He said the embassy had "full confidence" that the authorities would "protect Israel's representatives and Jewish communities."

According to US media reports, the Israeli ambassador reportedly did not attend the museum event at the time of the shooting.

According to CBS, Georgetown University’s DC campus is also temporarily locked.

"When we went to leave, the police were downstairs and told us we couldn't leave," said a student who had been locked in the building for more than an hour.

Like many other Jewish institutions in the United States, the capital Jewish Museum struggles with security amid rising anti-Semitism.

"Jewish institutions across the country are concerned about security due to some very horrible events facing certain institutions and the anti-Semitism atmosphere," Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told NBC News in another news report ahead of Wednesday's attack.

She said the museum recently received a grant, partly due to a new exhibition on LGBT Pride, so the museum partially upgraded its security.

“We recognize that there are threats, too,” Ms. Gulwitz said. “Again, we want to make sure that everyone here can welcome our space as we explore these stories.”

US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee posted on X, calling the attack a "terror act of the Israeli people woke up this morning."