Many Jewish groups issued statements on May 21 condemning the killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members in front of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

According to media reports, the two staffers were shot and killed in front of the museum and were on their way to an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event. The two victims were a couple and were about to engaged.

Fox News reporter Bill Melugin posted on X that the suspect has been identified as Elias Rodriguez, 30, and that Rodriguez allegedly shouted “Free Palestine” while in custody.

Jewish Insider spoke to a witness, Paige Siegel, who said that the suspect entered the museum and shouted, “I did it, I did it. Free Palestine. I did for Gaza.” Siegel also told the outlet that the suspect subsequently opened his backpack and brought out a red keffiyeh. She then looked at security footage of the shooter and confirmed that it was the same person.

Amanda Rothschild, a national security professional, posted on X that she was at the AJC event and that it “was for young Jewish professionals working in foreign policy. The panel was on multi faith efforts to address the humanitarian situation in Israel & Gaza. The people who lost their lives tonight were young people dedicated to service & alleviating human suffering.”

AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement that the Jewish group “can confirm that we hosted an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. this evening. We are devastated that an unspeakable act of violence took place outside the venue. 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.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt posted to X, “We still are confirming details of this heinous crime, but this shooting strikes a nerve because it comes after an unrelenting, ongoing campaign of hate and harassment targeting the Jewish community simply because of who we are and what we believe. Our hearts break for the families of those who were murdered even as our will hardens in the face of those who threaten us. What they fail to grasp is that we will not be intimidated.”

Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk said in a statement that the shooting was “a targeted assault on Israeli diplomats and the Jewish community in the very heart of the nation’s capital, and it must be recognized for what it is: a depraved act of antisemitic terrorism. 

This horrific act is the result of months of silence, excuse-making and moral cowardice in the face of escalating antisemitism. When Israel is demonized as evil, when Jews are targeted under the guise of ‘anti-Zionism,’ it emboldens hate and incites violence. Jew-hatred is not a political position.” He added that “this is the outcome when antisemitic hate is normalized on our campuses, in our streets, and online. 

When leaders fail to call it what it is, hate festers, metastasizes, and erupts in bloodshed. This can no longer be tolerated, and our political and religious leaders, as well as each and every one of us, must lead by example and condemn this act without qualification. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, to the Israeli diplomatic community, and to the Jewish community of Washington, D.C.”

The Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish American Organizations posted to X, “Heartbroken and outraged by the apparent targeted murder of Jews gathered in Washington, DC to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month at the Capitol Jewish Museum. A moment of pride turned to horror. We mourn the victims, demand justice, and urge vigilance.”

Simon Wiesenthal Center CEO Jim Berk said in a statement that the shooting was “a targeted assault on Israeli diplomats and the Jewish community in the very heart of the nation’s capital, and it must be recognized for what it is: a depraved act of antisemitic terrorism. This horrific act is the result of months of silence, excuse-making and moral cowardice in the face of escalating antisemitism. When Israel is demonized as evil, when Jews are targeted under the guise of ‘anti-Zionism,’ it emboldens hate and incites violence. Jew-hatred is not a political position.” He added that “this is the outcome when antisemitic hate is normalized on our campuses, in our streets, and online. When leaders fail to call it what it is, hate festers, metastasizes, and erupts in bloodshed. This can no longer be tolerated, and our political and religious leaders, as well as each and every one of us, must lead by example and condemn this act without qualification. We extend our deepest condolences to the victims’ families, to the Israeli diplomatic community, and to the Jewish community of Washington, D.C.”