Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., were shot and killed last Wednesday night as they left an event organized by the American Jewish Committee (AJC) at the Jewish Museum in the U.S. capital.

The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were Messianic Christians working for the Israeli diplomatic delegation.

The couple had attended the “Young Diplomats Reception”, organized by ACCESS, AJC's division for young Jewish professionals, which focused on humanitarian efforts in the Middle East and North Africa.

The Israeli embassy spokesperson, Tal Naim Cohen, confirmed the murder in a statement, while the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said the two staffers “were about to be engaged”-

“Yarón Lischinsky, had already purchased an engagement ring and was intending to propose to the other victim, Sarah Milgrim, on a trip to Jerusalem next week”.

The embassy said in X that it was “heartbroken and devastated” by the loss: “No words can express the depth of our grief and horror. Our hearts are with their families".

Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives.



This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC.



The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words… pic.twitter.com/2HytKDp8Fr

— Embassy of Israel to the USA (@IsraelinUSA) May 22, 2025

Yaron and Sarah, devout Christians

Lischinsky, 28, was a German-born Israeli citizen. He served three years in the Israel defense forces and had a Master's degree in Government, Diplomacy and Strategy from Reichman University. He worked in the political department of the embassy.

Milgrim, 26, was part of the public diplomacy department for a year and a half. She had an international academic background, with a master's degree in international studies (American University) and a master's degree in sustainable development (UN University for Peace), as well as a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from the University of Kansas.

On his LinkedIn profile, Lischinsky described himself as “proud to call both Jerusalem and Nuremberg my home” and pointed out that he “believe that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbors and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the state of Israel and the Middle East as a whole”.

The German-Israeli Society remembered him as “an open-minded, intelligent and deeply engaged person”.

One of his former professors at the Argaman Institute, Ronen Shoval, said on X that Lischinsky “was a devout evangelical Christian”, and his friend Jenny Havemann explained that “Yaron was part of a Messianic Christian group and was very interested in closer ties between Germans and Israelis”.

“He was a Christian, and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause. He embodied the Judeo-Christian values and set an example for young people worldwide”, the Israeli ambassador to Germany and former professor, Ron Prosor, wrote on X .



Furthermore, Tech2Peace, an organization that promotes dialogue between Israeli and Palestinian youth, said Milgrim was an active volunteer, who “brought people together with empathy and determination. Her voice and spirit will be deeply missed”.

A direct and premeditated attack

The alleged perpetrator of the attack has been identified as Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old Chicago resident. After opening fire on the couple, he entered the museum, where he was de-escalated by security personnel. The attacker shouted “Free Palestine!” upon his arrest.

Police confirmed that Rodriguez had no prior record. After his arrest, he told officers where he had thrown the gun, which has since been recovered.

After making his first appearance in federal court, he did not enter a plea and will remain in prison pending future court hearings. The next hearing is scheduled for June 18.

The Justice Department charged Rodriguez with federal murder charges, including first-degree murder and the murder of foreign officials, as well as the use of a firearm during a violent crime.

They are investigating the killing as both an act of terrorism and a hate crime, interim US Attorney Jeanine Pirro pointed out.

Steven Jensen, the FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington office, said investigators are “executing search warrants for his electronic devices, reviewing his social media accounts and all of his internet postings”.

Official reactions

Right after the murder, Israel's President Isaac Herzog also reacted via a message on X: “our hearts are with the loved ones of those murdered and our immediate prayers are with the injured […] Terror and hate will not break us”.

"We are witness to the terrible cost of the antisemitism and wild incitement against the State of Israel. Blood libels against Israel have a cost in blood and must be fought to the utmost”, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in a Hebrew statement.

“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!”, U.S. President Donald Trump wrote. “Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims”, he added.

For Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar, “there is a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder. This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organisations, especially from Europe”.

Saar called on these leaders to stop “surrendering to Palestinian terrorist propaganda” and “strengthen Israel in its battle against evil in the Middle East”.