Two staff members from the Israeli Embassy in Washington, DC, were shot and killed Wednesday night near the Capital Jewish Museum, according to U.S. officials.
“Two Israeli Embassy staff were senselessly killed tonight near the Jewish Museum in Washington DC,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem in a statement on X. “We are actively investigating and working to get more information to share.”
The shooting happened across the street from the FBI’s Washington Field Office, not far from the museum. Police confirmed they are investigating the scene. The Israeli Embassy says it is cooperating with law enforcement.
A source familiar with the situation told CNN that the victims were connected to the Israeli Embassy. Another law enforcement source confirmed both were killed.
The Israeli ambassador was not at the scene and was not involved in the incident, according to an embassy spokesperson.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi and acting U.S. Attorney for DC Jeanine Pirro were seen arriving at the scene shortly after the attack.
The American Jewish Committee was holding an event at the museum that evening. Its CEO, Ted Deutch, responded in a statement: “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.”
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, did not hold back. “The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, DC – in which Israeli embassy employees were also injured – is a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism,” he wrote on X.
Police are urging people to stay away from the area in Northwest DC as the investigation continues.
