Slain Israeli Embassy staffer Sarah Milgrim spoke out over antisemitic messages at high school 8 years before fatal shooting
Slain Israeli Embassy staffer Sarah Milgrim once spoke out against hateful antisemitic graffiti at her high school nearly a decade before she was killed in a terrorist attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
Milgrim, then a 17-year-old senior, voiced her concerns about the sickening messages and symbols — which included a swastika — that were painted on a storage shed on the campus of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kan., in February 2017.
'It's so ignorant that you would bring up a symbol like that brings so much pain to a lot of people. It's not OK,' Milgrim told KSHB 41 in a resurfaced interview.
7 Sarah Milgrim is interviewed outside Shawnee Mission East High School after antisemitic graffiti was found on a shed in February 2017.
KSHB 41/ YouTube
The messages included 'East Loves Nazi,' 'Hillary won LOL' and 'Luck the Fancers' a play on words insult to the school's mascot the Lancer, in pre basketball game rivalry stunt.
Four swastikas were painted alongside the texts in black paint.
Milgrim had said the antisemitic tags outside the school caused her to fear for her safety.
'I worry about going to my synagogue and now I have to worry about safety at school and that shouldn't be a thing,' she told the outlet.
Robert Milgrim said his daughter tried to turn the hateful messages into a chance to better the world., resulting in her taking a job with the Israeli Embassy in an effort to encourage peace in the Middle East.
'I can't say it bounced off her, but she accepted it,' the elder Milgrim told KSHB Thursday. 'She understood it and tried to be a good example so that maybe there would be less antisemitism. It didn't turn out very well for her.'
7 Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were gunned down in the streets of Washington, DC, on May 21, 2025.
Obtained by NYPost.
7 The hateful graffiti sprawled across a wall of a storage shed on the campus of Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kan.
KSHB 41/ YouTube
A former football player from Shawnee Mission South High was charged with vandalism in connection to the incident in March 2017, the Kansas City Star reported.
Milgrim graduated from the school three months later before attending the University of Kansas where she earned a bachelor's in environmental studies.
She later received a master's in international affairs from American University and a master's in natural resources and sustainable development from the University for Peace in Costa Rica.
7 Milgrim met Lischinsky just after beginning work in the embassy's Department of Public Diplomacy.
@yaron_li/X
7 Milgrim graduated from the school three months later before attending the University of Kansas where she earned a bachelor's in environmental studies.
KSHB 41/ YouTube
Milgrim began working at the Israeli Embassy in DC a month after the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, her father told KSHB.
'She had a passion for learning, she had a passion for the environment and she had a passion for Israel,' Robert Milgrim said.
Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, 28, were gunned down in the streets of Washington DC Wednesday night after leaving the American Jewish Committee's ACCESS Young Diplomats Reception.
Follow The Post's coverage on Israeli Embassy staffers killed in DC
Suspected terrorist Elias Rodriguez, 31, was pacing outside the museum before he approached the couple and two other people and fired off 21 shots from his handgun.
Milgrim met Lischinsky just after beginning work in the embassy's Department of Public Diplomacy.
Lischinsky, a research assistant in the embassy's Political Department, had planned on proposing to Milgrim during their upcoming trip to Jerusalem.
'They made each other very happy,' Robert Milgrim said. 'We grew to love him also. They were perfect for each other.'
7 A makeshift memorial for Lischinsky and Milgrim is set up outside the White House on May 22, 2025.
AP
7 Lischinsky and Milgrim pose for a photo with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a visit to the Israeli Embassy in DC in November 2024.
Sarah Milgrim / Linkedin
Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence in federal court on Thursday.
He appeared in court wearing a white jumpsuit and told the judge he was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol during the hate-fueled attack — for which he faces multiple life sentences and the death penalty.
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Boston Globe
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Trump holds out Israel-Iran ceasefire deal as validation for his gamble of US airstrikes
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There were no reports of U.S. casualties, the official said. Another U.S. official said on condition of anonymity that the base had been mostly evacuated, and that it appeared the Qatari military had fended off most missiles. Majed Al Ansari, foreign affairs spokesman for Qatar, issued a statement strongly condemning the missile launch, calling it "a flagrant violation'' of the country's sovereignty. "We reassure that Qatar's air defenses successfully thwarted the attack," the statement said. The U.S. has remained on alert with its 40,000 troops in the region two days after Trump ordered the bombing of Fordow, a uranium-enrichment facility deep inside a remote mountain in Iran, and facilities at Natanz and Isfahan. Trump convened his national security team Monday afternoon in the Situation Room. Many world leaders − including those from the UK, France and Germany − called for restraint and a return to diplomatic negotiations. The extent of the damage to the Iran nuclear sites remains in question because so far there has been no independent assessment. The U.S. Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq had activated its air defense system out of concern of a potential attack, military officials told Reuters. Al Udeid is the sprawling hub of U.S. military air operations in the Middle East. There about 10,000 U.S. troops stationed there, on the outskirts of the capital of Doha. Its air operations center has overseen fighters, bombers and drones that have conducted combat missions in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Dignitaries make stops there frequently, including Trump and secretaries of Defense. Trump warned other countries Monday not to supply nuclear weapons to Iran in response to the U.S. bombing, after a former Russian president suggested the option. 'The 'N word' should not be treated so casually,' Trump said in a social media post, referring to nuclear was alluding to a social media post by Dmitry Medvedev, the former president of Russia, but questioned its accuracy. Medvedev's post suggested 'a number of countries are ready to directly support Iran with their own nuclear warheads.'−Bart Jansen House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Monday he didn't think it was 'an appropriate time' for the House to vote on a bipartisan war powers resolution pushed by two representatives, Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie and California Democrat Ro Khanna. 'I don't think it's necessary,' Johnson said, according to Punchbowl News. 'For 80 years, presidents of both parties have acted with the same Commander in Chief authority under Article 2.'' Johnson said President Joe Biden used the authority in three Middle East operations, and added: "President Obama went on an eight-month campaign bombing Libya to take down the regime there. I never heard a Democrat balk about any of that. And suddenly now they're just up in arms. It's all politics. This is not a time for politics.' His remarks will likely earn pushback from Massie and Khanna, who were looking to bring their measure to the floor for a vote, seeking to forbid the U.S. from "unauthorized hostilities' in Iran after Trump ordered airstrikes at three nuclear sites in Iran. Lawmakers across the aisle have alleged that Trump's order violated the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973, which requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. Some of Trump's staunchest allies have split with him over Iran. − Sudiksha Kochi Stocks wavered but quickly moved back into positive ground after Iran said it attacked a U.S. military base Monday. The market wound up on a high note upon news the assault caused no casualties or disruptions to oil supplies. The blue-chip Dow closed up 0.89%, or 374.96 points, to 42,581.78; the broad S&P 500 added 0.96%, or 57.33 points, to 6025.17 and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 0.94%, or 183.57 points, to 19630.98. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield slipped to 4.34%. U.S. oil prices initially rose on the news of explosions over Qatar but settled back to trade down about 7.94% to $67.98 per barrel. Qatar said it intercepted Iran's missiles. − Medora Lee The Israeli military released an urgent warning to residents in Tehran urging them to stay away from "security institutions" as they plan to continue pounding the capital city with airstrikes. "Dear citizens of Tehran, In the coming days, the Israeli army will continue its attacks against military targets in the Tehran region," read the statement posed Monday on X. "To maintain your personal safety, we ask you to stay away from weapons production centers, military bases, and security institutions affiliated with the regime." Tehran is one of the largest cities in the Middle East and is home to an estimated 9.5 million people. On Monday, Israel launched several strikes on the city, hitting near Evin Prison and several command and security operations centers. Oil prices initially rose on reports of explosions over Qatar but dropped again as analysts said oil supplies remained safe. Just after 1:30 p.m. ET, oil prices were down 4.97% at $70.17 per barrel. Analysts' primary concern is if Iran retaliates by closing the Strait of Hormuz, the main artery that carries global oil supplies. If transport through the Strait of Hormuz is significantly disrupted, oil prices could surge to $130-150 per barrel, said David Oxley, chief climate and commodities economist at Capital Economics. − Medora Lee There are no U.S. forces at the military base in Syria that reportedly had come under mortar fire, a U.S. official said Monday. The official, who could not confirm whether an attack had occurred at the base, was not authorized to speak publicly about U.S. troop movements in the region. The alleged attack at a base in western Syria was first reported by Mehr, a news agency affiliated with the Iranian government. The Pentagon has been bracing for a counterattack after the U.S. airstrikes Saturday on three nuclear facilities in Iran. The Pentagon has sent an additional aircraft carrier strike group to the region and bolstered air defenses to protect troops in recent weeks following Israel's ongoing attacks on Iran. Militia groups, funded and supplied by Iran, have regularly fired rockets, mortars and drones at bases with U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. Those attacks typically do not cause casualties or major damage. Is it safe to travel abroad right now? Worldwide caution issued after US strikes on Iran Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia has been one of Trump's most loyal supporters, but she's not holding back in slamming his decision to bomb Iran. In a second lengthy social media post since the bombing, Greene accused Trump of a 'bait and switch' with his supporters. Greene wrote in the Monday post that she campaigned with Trump on a 'MAGA agenda' that included 'NO MORE FOREIGN WARS. NO MORE REGIME CHANGE. WORLD PEACE.' Now, less than six months into Trump's second administration, Greene wrote 'we are back into foreign wars, regime change, and world war 3.' 'It feels like a complete bait and switch to please the neocons, warmongers, military industrial complex contracts, and neocon tv personalities that MAGA hates and who were NEVER TRUMPERS!' Greene added. Greene was among a vocal MAGA contingent warning against attacking Iran before Trump decided to go forward with the strike. Greene has remained outspoken, saying in an earlier social media post that 'I can also support President Trump … while disagreeing on bombing Iran and getting involved in a hot war that Israel started.' − Sudiksha Kochi, Zac Anderson Trump called for oil prices not to increase after U.S. airstrikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran. 'EVERYONE, KEEP OIL PRICES DOWN. I'M WATCHING! YOU'RE PLAYING RIGHT INTO THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY. DON'T DO IT!' he wrote in a Truth Social post. It wasn't clear who he was referring to in the post. In a follow-up Truth Social post, Trump urged the Department of Energy to 'DRILL, BABY, DRILL!!! And I mean NOW!!!' − Sudiksha Kochi and Savannah Kuchar When asked about Trump's recent musings on regime change in Iran, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Monday that the administration and the U.S. military posture has not changed from its stated goal of taking out Iran's nuclear capabilities. "The president was just simply raising a question that I think many people around the world are asking," she said, adding that if Iran's government "refuse(s) to engage in diplomacy moving forward, why shouldn't the Iranian people rise up against this brutal terrorist regime?' She also told Fox News that Trump 'believes the Iranian people can control their own destiny' — including by toppling their country's theocratic regime. Leavitt said Iran was an 'imminent threat' and that the U.S. strikes "took away Iran's ability to create a nuclear bomb." "They no longer have the capability to build this nuclear weapon and threaten the world," Leavitt said in an interview on ABC News. Her statement comes amid questions around the success of the strikes to destroy Iran's nuclear sites. While Trump and his administration remain adamant that the strikes caused "monumental damage," no independent assessment of the facilities has taken place. Misinformation and fears: Gen Z, Iran and the mass panic happening on TikTok The U.S. Embassy in Qatar issued an alert on its website warning American citizens to "shelter in place until further notice." It's unclear what exactly triggered the alert, though it comes amid high tensions in the region after the U.S. bombed several nuclear facilities in Iran. On Sunday, the State Department released an advisory urging U.S. citizens worldwide to "exercise increased caution" as the conflict between Israel and Iran continued to escalate. Qatar's foreign ministry in a statement on Monday said recent advisories issued by embassies "do not necessarily reflect the existence of specific threats." The statement added the the security situation in Qatar is "stable." Iran's parliament voted Sunday in support of closing the Strait of Hormuz, a vital trade route that carries an estimated 20% of the world's oil and gas. The decision to close the strait ultimately belongs to Iran's Supreme National Security Council, which has yet to officially weigh in. Leavitt said the Iranian regime would be 'foolish' to close the strait when asked whether the Trump administration would release more oil to dampen potential price hikes. 'I can assure you the administration is actively and closely monitoring the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,' Leavitt told ABC News. 'The Iranian regime would be foolish to make that decision.' − Savannah Kuchar and Bart Jansen Trump met with his national security team as tensions in the Middle East grew after he ordered a trio of strikes at Iranian nuclear facilities Saturday. In a post on his social media platform, Trump raised the prospect of regime change while officials in his administration said they were seeking to resume negotiations talks with Iran. "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!" Trump wrote. Following the latest round of Israeli missile strikes on Tehran, the Iranian judiciary's Mizan news agency said electricity was cut off in several city districts and that the situation at Evin Prison is "under control." The judiciary said on of the strikes in northern Tehran hit one of the main lines supplying the area, resulting in power outages. The notorious Evin Prison was built in 1971 and has housed political prisoners, Westerners and journalists used as bargaining chips by Iran. It has previously been targeted by sanctions, and human rights groups have long condemned the treatment of prisoners there. U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said he expects that U.S. bombing on Iran's Fordow nuclear enrichment site caused "very significant damage," but he added that the extent of any damage remains unclear as the International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to carry out an inspection. "Given the explosive payload utilized and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Grossi said in a statement Monday to an emergency meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation Board of Governors. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi in Moscow that aggression against Iran was groundless. Putin made the comments at the start of Kremlin talks and said Russia, which has condemned the U.S. strikes, was ready to help the Iranian people. Iran and its hard-line supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei are almost certainly going to strike back in response to historic U.S. military strikes on three of its suspected nuclear facilities. But if history is any guide, that response could happen at any time − and anywhere, and in any form, former U.S. intelligence officials and diplomatic experts say. 'Missiles, militias and acts of hostage-taking – that's their go-to' range of options, the Biden administration coordinator for the Middle East, Brett McGurk, said on CNN June 21. 'I suspect Iran will have to do something.' Read more here. −Josh Meyer The U.S. used more than a dozen multimillion-dollar, 30,000-pound "bunker busters" to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities in the strike, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, marking the weapon's first operational use, according to the Pentagon. U.S. bomber planes dropped 14 of the massive bombs on three of Iran's nuclear facilities, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said. The bombs used in the strikes, called Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, weigh 30,000 pounds each and cost millions to produce. MOPs, also known as the Guided Bomb Unit, or GBU-57, are GPS-guided weapons designed to burrow deep into underground targets, such as fortified tunnels or bunkers. The bombs are about 20 feet long and span 6 feet at their widest point. Read more here. − Cybele Mayes-Osterman Some lawmakers, including hard-line conservatives and key progressives, are calling the U.S. strikes a breach of the Constitution,. "The President's disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, posted on X. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, responded to Trump's social media assessment of the attack with the statement: "This is not Constitutional." The War Powers Resolution of 1973 requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of military action. The law also limits the deployment of armed forces beyond 90 days in the absence of a formal declaration of war. − Savannah Kuchar Trump ordered the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, effectively joining a war that Israel started on June 13 when it began bombing Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. Israel said it helped the U.S. coordinate and plan the strikes. Trump said all three sites were "totally obliterated." But an independent assessment has not yet been carried out. The International Atomic Energy Agency − the United Nation's nuclear watchdog − released a statement saying that so far it had not detected an increase in "off-site radiation levels," one of the feared consequences of the strikes. Vice President JD Vance insisted Sunday that the U.S. is not entering an open-ended conflict in the Middle East. 'We're not at war with Iran. We're at war with Iran's nuclear program.' Vance said on NBC.
