DC shooting victims were soon to be engaged: Ambassador
(NewsNation) — The two Israeli Embassy staff members who were fatally shot in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday were set to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the United States.
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were leaving an event at the Capitol Jewish Museum — a mile from the Capitol Building — when police say Elias Rodriguez approached a group of four people and opened fire. Rodriguez yelled, 'Free, free Palestine' after he was arrested, police said.
Rodriguez was observed by onlookers pacing outside the museum before the shooting. He walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security.
Global leaders are condemning the fatal attack on 2 Israeli Embassy staffers. Here's what they said
'He ran inside and yelled something,' said witness John Elleson. 'I couldn't make it out, what he said. It was terrible.'
Lischinsky had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem, Leiter said.
The District of D.C. just last week awarded security grants to 11 nonprofits in the area, which included the Capitol Jewish Museum. The grants were given to boost security.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Trump explains why Egypt was not part of travel ban after citing Boulder attack
Trump explains why Egypt was not part of travel ban after citing Boulder attack 'Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control,' Trump said of the nation's exemption from his travel ban. Show Caption Hide Caption Travelers react to the latest travel ban from President Trump "Pros and cons." Travelers in Los Angeles responded to the news of President Donald Trump's travel ban impacting nearly 20 countries. WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he did not include Egypt in a travel ban, which he tied to a terror attack allegedly carried out by an Egyptian national, because the United States works closely with the Arab nation. "Egypt has been a country that we deal with very closely. They have things under control. The countries that we have don't have things under control," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on June 5. In introducing the partial or complete ban on travel from citizens of 19 nations on June 4, Trump cited the Boulder, Colorado, attack that took place at an event raising awareness about Israeli hostages. The suspect in the case, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, is an Egyptian man who entered the U.S. on a tourist visit that he overstayed after applying for asylum, federal officials say. More: Trump's travel ban is his fourth attempt. See how list compares to 2017 Yet, the travel ban that Trump unveiled days later did not include Egypt, raising questions about the timing and purpose of the ban, which the president's critics say unfairly targets African and Muslim-majority nations. Trump requested that the State Department and other national security officials put together a list of countries for potential visa restrictions in an executive order just after taking office. But nothing came of it for months, until the Boulder attack, which he blamed on the previous administration. "We want to keep bad people out of our country. The Biden administration allowed some horrendous people," Trump said in the Oval Office, as he touted his deportation policies. Egypt has acted as a central mediator alongside the United States and Qatar in the conflict between Israel and Hamas, helping to establish a ceasefire and secure the release of prisoners and hostages. The United States had conducted joint training exercises with Egypt since 1980 and considers the Arab nation that has been ruled by Abdel Fattah El-Sisi since 2014 a regional partner. The Egyptian embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Hamilton Spectator
30 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘activated' some Palestinian clans in the fight against Hamas
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Israel has 'activated' some local clans of Palestinians in Gaza in the fight against Hamas. In a video posted to his X account, Netanyahu said the government made the move on the advice of 'security officials,' in order to save lives of Israeli soldiers. The announcement came hours after a political opponent criticized him for arming unofficial groups of Palestinians in Gaza. Some local Palestinian families in Gaza are known to have arms and often wield some control in parts of the territory. In the past, before and during the war, some have had clashes or tensions with Hamas. An Israeli official said that one of the groups that Netanyahu was referring to was the so-called Abu Shabab group. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media. In recent weeks, the Abu Shabab group announced online that its fighters were helping protect aid shipments to the new distribution mechanism backed by Israel in southern Gaza. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Netanyahu says Israel has ‘activated' some Palestinian clans in Hamas fight
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has 'activated' some local clans of Palestinians in Gaza in the fight against Hamas. In a video posted to his X account, Mr Netanyahu said the government made the move on the advice of 'security officials', in order to save lives of Israeli soldiers. The announcement came hours after a political opponent criticised him for arming unofficial groups of Palestinians in Gaza.