Diplomats shot dead near Jewish museum in Washington

On Thursday, May 21, the shooting that murdered two employees of the Israeli Embassy took place in the center of Washington, D.C., near the Metropolitan Jewish Museum. The suspect has been detained — 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago.

It was reported by the BBC.

The man shot dead the diplomats of the Israeli Embassy with anti-Semitic shouts

According to law enforcement, the man opened fire on a group of people, shouting "free, free Palestine". After murdering the couple, he entered the museum, where he was stopped by security. The victims of the shooting were the young couple who were leaving the event at the museum. According to Israeli Ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, the couple were preparing for the engagement, and the man had bought the engagement ring shortly before the tragedy. The names of the victims were not disclosed, but the Israeli Embassy confirmed that both were employees of the diplomatic mission and were shot at close range. 

Donald Trump reacted to the shooting

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, called the shooting an act of anti-Semitism and called for an immediate end to such attacks.

"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA," he wrote on the social platform Truth Social.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio promised that the perpetrators would be brought to justice, and Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon stated that the attack was a "depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism".

According to NBC News, the museum's management had warned in advance of security risks, particularly after the launch of the new exhibition dedicated to the LGBT community. The museum's executive director, Beatrice Hurwitz, noted that the institution had received a grant to strengthen security measures.

As a reminder, yesterday, the former well-known Ukrainian politician Andriy Portnov was shot dead in the suburbs of Madrid.

A few minutes later, this information was officially confirmed by the Security Forces.