US Washington DC Shooting: Who is Elias Rodriguez, suspect who shouted ‘Free Palestine’? Here's what eyewitnesses say

Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington were shot and killed on Wednesday evening as they were leaving an event at a Jewish museum. According to police, the suspect shouted, “Free, free Palestine” after being taken into custody, AP reported.

Who is the suspect Elias Rodriguez?

The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, was seen pacing outside the museum prior to the shooting, according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith. After the incident, he entered the museum and was detained by event security.

Upon being taken into custody, Rodriguez began chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” Smith said. She added that law enforcement does not believe there is any ongoing threat to the community. US President Donald Trump called the shooting ‘horrible’ and stressed it is ‘based on antisemitism and it must end’.

Also Read: US Washington DC Shooting LIVE: 2 staff members of Israeli embassy killed near Jewish museum, suspect Rodriguez arrested

Trump said that hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA.

In a post on X, the White House said, “These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, now! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You all.”

Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter stated that the two individuals killed were a young couple on the verge of getting engaged.

AP reported that he shared that the man had bought an engagement ring earlier in the week and planned to propose in Jerusalem the following week.

Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed she was present at the scene alongside former judge Jeanine Pirro, who currently serves as the U.S. Attorney in Washington and whose office will be handling the prosecution of the case.

Israel-Gaza war

The shooting occurred amid heightened tensions as Israel intensifies its military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip—a conflict that has inflamed unrest across the broader Middle East.

The war began on 7 October 2023, when Hamas militants launched a surprise attack from Gaza, killing around 1,200 people and abducting approximately 250 others, whom they took back to the coastal enclave.

Also Read: ‘Sons of dogs, get us out of this’: Palestinian prez urges Hamas to free hostages, Hamas calls it ‘insulting’

Since then, Israel’s military response has resulted in the deaths of more than 53,000 people in Gaza, according to local health authorities. The majority of those killed have been women and children, though the figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

The ongoing conflict has displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza’s roughly 2 million residents, triggered a severe hunger crisis, and led to the widespread destruction of the region’s urban infrastructure, as reported by AP.

What did the eyewitness say?

As reported by the Associated Press, Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher, who were inside the museum at the time of the shooting, recalled hearing gunshots just before a distressed man entered the building.

Kalin said that attendees initially believed the man needed assistance and offered him water, unaware that he was the suspect.

Also Read: Hamas leader ‘probably killed’, says Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu; declares ‘all of Gaza will be under Israeli control’

When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,” Kalin said.

“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims, Jews, and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”

Capital Jewish Museum

The shooting took place outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which is just steps away from the FBI's field office in Washington, D.C. In response to the shooting, the museum said in a statement that they are “deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening.”

“We recognise that there are threats associated with this as well,” Executive Director Beatrice Gurwitz told the TV station, as reported by the Associated Press. “And again, we want to ensure that our space is as welcoming and secure for everybody who comes here while we are exploring these stories.”

Also Read: ‘I’m sorry’: Harvard president apologises over reports on antisemitism and anti-Muslim bias

Israeli diplomats have long been targets of violence, attacked over the decades by both state-backed actors and Palestinian militants amid the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has its roots in the founding of Israel in 1948.

The Palestinians seek to establish an independent state comprising Gaza and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital, territories that Israel captured during the 1967 Six-Day War.

However, the peace process aimed at resolving the conflict has remained stalled for years.

(With inputs from agencies)