By Karina Tsui, Teele Rebane, Isaac Yee, Jessie Yeung, Lex Harvey, Diego Mendoza Diaz, Alex Marquardt, Gabe Cohen, Holmes Lybrand

(CNN) — Two Israeli Embassy staff members were shot and killed by a gunman who later yelled “Free Palestine!” while being arrested in Washington, DC, Wednesday night, authorities said.

The slain staffers, who the Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs named as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, were a couple who officials say were soon to be engaged.

The two were attending an event for young professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. At around 9 p.m. outside the museum, they were approached by a gunman who opened fire and killed them, officials said.

The suspect, whom DC police identified as 30-year-old Chicago native Elias Rodriguez, pretended to be a bystander after the shooting, an eyewitness told CNN.

When police arrived, the man turned himself in and shouted “Free, Free Palestine” while being handcuffed. He is currently in custody, according to authorities. Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said the man “implied that he committed the offense.”

The shooting, which took place in the heart of the Hill, has shaken the Jewish community at a time of heightened global tensions, as US-led attempts to broker a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas remain unsuccessful and fighting in Gaza continues.

Tensions are also high across US college campuses where hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested amid polarized debates over the right to protest Israel’s military actions and accusations of antisemitism.

“We’ll be doing everything in our power to keep all citizens safe, especially tonight our Jewish community,” US Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters late Wednesday.

“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW! Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA,” President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims.

Rodriguez is being interviewed by the DC Metropolitan Police and FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino said on X.

“Early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence,” Bongino said.

Ted Deutch, the CEO of the AJC, described the shooting “an unspeaking act of violence.”

“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,” he said.

Suspect was seen ‘pacing’ outside museum before shooting

Police Chief Smith said Rodriguez was allegedly seen pacing back and forth outside the museum before approaching a group of four and shooting two of them with a handgun.

The 30-year-old later retreated inside the museum, where he was eventually detained, according to Smith.

According to Sara Marinuzzi, an eyewitness who spoke with CNN, the suspect “pretended to be a witness” once inside the building and waited for police to arrive for over 10 minutes before claiming responsibility for the attack.

Another witness, Paige Siegel, told CNN she heard Rodriguez say, “I did it for Gaza,” and “Free Palestine.”

Rodriguez, who was taken into custody on Wednesday night told officers, “I did this,” according to eyewitness Yoni Kalin.

Kalin was at the museum attending the same event organized by the AJC when he heard shots rang out. “At first I didn’t recognize them as gunshots,” he told CNN over the phone.

Moments later, a man entered the museum appearing to be a witness, according to Kalin. He recalled the man sitting in the museum but not interacting with many people present at the event. Ten minutes later, when police entered the building, the man appeared to confess to shooting, telling officers, “I did this, I did this for Palestine,” according to Kalin.

“It’s horrible,” Kalin said. “I just didn’t realize he was the perpetrator.”

Kalin added that between the shooting and the arrest, Rodriguez appeared shaken up. People approached the suspect to offer him water and check if he was okay, he said.

Kalin said around 50 people attended the event, which was organized to discuss how multi-faith organizations can work together to bring humanitarian aid to war-torn regions such as Gaza. He added that over 30 staffers from various embassies attended the event.

“I’m still in shock,” Kalin told CNN. “I just hope we learn from this and just recognize that violence and terrorism doesn’t get us where we need to be” he added.

The couple ‘were in the prime of their lives’

When officers arrived on the scene minutes after the shooting, they found “one adult male and one adult female unconscious and not breathing,” Smith told reporters late Wednesday. “Both victims succumbed to their injuries,” she said.

“We are shocked and horrified this morning by the news of the brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of two of our Embassy staff members in Washington,” the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in a post on X in the early hours of Thursday.

“We embrace the grieving families during this painful time and will continue to support them always,” the post read.

“Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the United States, also said in a social media post Thursday. “The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss.” Leiter earlier shared with reporters that the couple was about to be engaged.

“A young man purchased a ring this week with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem. They were a beautiful couple,” he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a statement, expressed his condolences to the families of the young couple.

“My heart aches for the families of the beloved young man and woman, whose lives were suddenly cut short by a vile antisemitic murderer,” Netanyahu said.

This story has been updated with additional details.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Oren Liebermann, Jennifer Hansler, Kaanita Iyer and Piper Hudspeth Blackburn contributed to this report.

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