A pro-Palestinian shooter casually entered the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., moments after allegedly shooting dead two Israeli embassy staffers. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 30, allegedly started shooting at a group of four people gathered outside the museum on Wednesday evening, during a Young Diplomats event being held there.
The two people killed were an Israeli couple who were planning to get engaged next week. Rodriguez has since been arrested and is being questioned. Authorities also confirmed that the suspect had no previous contact with law enforcement. Washington Police Chief Pamela Smith said that the suspect was seen walking back and forth outside the museum before he was arrested.
Guards Mistook Suspect for Victim
After the shooting, Rodriguez was allowed into the Capital Jewish Museum by security guards who mistakenly believed he was one of the victims, witness Yoni Kalin, told Fox 5 News. "You know I did see somebody run in," he recounted. "The security guard happened to let this guy in, I guess they were thinking he was a victim."
Kalin recounted that the suspect appeared "covered in rain and he was clearly in trauma, he was in shock."
Another witness, Sara Marinuzzi, said that the man was "acting erratically," leading people to assume he had witnessed the shooting.
Seeing how upset Rodriguez appeared, Kalin said attendees offered him water and checked if he was alright—only to be shocked later when they learned his true identity.
Kalin said that the suspect took a seat inside the museum and requested that someone call the police. However, when officers arrived roughly 10 minutes later, Rodriguez reportedly admitted to them, saying, "I did this."
"He said, 'Sir I'm unarmed,' put his arms up and grabbed a red keffiyeh out of his pocket and started the 'Free Palestine' chants,' saying "There's only one solution - intifada revolution," Kalin claimed.
At that moment, Rodriguez was pulled out of the building while he continued his chants. Kalin said he still hadn't fully grasped the situation and even tried to return Rodriguez's keffiyeh to him. "I didn't realize that he had murdered two people," he said.
It was only about five to ten minutes later, after receiving more details, that Kalin and the others realized the gunman had been inside the building "with us for like 15 minutes." "My friend was actually watching the surveillance footage and he murdered somebody, executed them from the back - five to 10 shots,' Kalin claimed, calling the shooting 'disgusting."
Motive Still Unclear
Investigators have not yet revealed a motive behind the shooting but said the case remains under active investigation. This came as a LinkedIn profile and a photo allegedly linked to Rodriguez have appeared on social media.
Although unconfirmed, the profile lists his location as Chicago, Illinois, and mentions a connection to the American Osteopathic Association, Inc. (AOIA). However, there has been no official confirmation on this.
Meanwhile, a video has gone viral that appears to show Rodriguez being taken into police custody, while he chants "Free Palestine."
Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, confirmed that the two victims attacked on Wednesday night—a man and a woman—were employees of the Israeli embassy.
"Harming diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line," Danon wrote on X. "We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives — everywhere in the world."
Gunfire erupted outside the museum at 575 3rd Street NW, close to the FBI field office and the U.S. attorney's office, according to the report. Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, confirmed that his organization was holding a Young Diplomats gathering at the museum at that time.
"We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue," he said.
"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."
Tal Naim Cohen, a spokesperson for the Israeli Embassy, said that the two were shot "at close range" while attending the event.
Initial reports indicated that one of the victims died at the scene, while the other was transported to the hospital in critical condition. Later updates confirmed that both victims had died.
