Headline Roundup • May 22nd, 2025
Two Israeli Officials Murdered in DC by Shooter Who Yelled ‘Free Palestine’
Summary from the AllSides News Team
Two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed by an assailant who allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” after his arrest.
The Details: The shooting occurred as the victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were leaving an event that took place at the Capital Jewish Museum. The two were a couple who the Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said planned to get engaged next week in Jerusalem. The shooter was identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, and arrested at the scene. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said authorities believe Rodriguez acted alone.
For Context: The shooting comes as this week, some Western countries that have previously supported Israel have begun to stiffen their rhetoric toward the country’s war in Gaza. According to recent data from the Pew Research Center (Center bias), the American public’s support for Israel has also waned significantly and bipartisanly since 2022.
How The Media Covered It: Fox News (Right) opened its coverage by framing the suspect as a “pro-Palestinian man,” language that Euronews (Center) and CNN (Lean Left) did not use. Outlets across the spectrum did note that the suspect shouted “Free Palestine.”
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Featured Coverage of this Story
Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Two staff members at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, were killed Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said.
“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” Noem said in a post on X. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share.”
Speaking at a news conference, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said law enforcement believes the shooting was conducted by a single suspect who is now in custody.
Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed on Wednesday evening near the Capital Jewish Museum after an assailant approached a group of four people and opened fire, authorities said.
According to Police Chief Pamela Smith, law enforcement apprehended the suspect on site. The gunman yelled, “Free, free Palestine” after he was arrested, Smith said.
"Once in handcuffs, the suspect identified where he discarded the weapon, and that weapon has been recovered, and he implied that he committed the offence," she explained at a press...
A pro-Palestinian man is in custody after allegedly killing two Israeli embassy staff members who were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, authorities confirmed.
The Embassy of Israel to the US identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were set to be engaged.
Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said during a news conference that officers responded to multiple calls of a shooting near the museum at around 9:08 p.m. on Wednesday.
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