Image source, Embassy of Israel to the USA

A man has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder after a shooting outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC on Wednesday night.

The shooting left two people, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, dead. They were a couple who worked at the Israeli embassy in Washington and were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington.

Lischinsky had bought a ring and was due to propose marriage to Milgrim next week on a planned trip to Jerusalem, according to Israel's ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter.

The suspected gunman, Elias Rodriguez, was arrested at the scene and is seen in videos shouting: "Free Palestine!"

Image source, AFP via Getty Images

The US attorney's office in Washington has charged Rodriguez with two counts of first-degree murder.

He has also been charged with murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence. More charges, including terrorism, could be added, officials said at a press conference.

Rodriguez, who lives in Chicago, is believed to have travelled to the US capital for a work conference.

Politicians across the political spectrum in the US have condemned the killings, calling it antisemitic.

We're pausing our live coverage of the aftermath of this shooting for now. You can stay up to date on the latest here: Suspect charged with murder in DC shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers

A court document filed by the FBI says that Elias Rodriguez told officers on the scene of the shooting: "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed."

The affidavit from an FBI agent says the suspect "spontaneously" said this to police officers while holding a red scarf identified by one witness as a keffiyeh - a type of scarf which is a symbol of Palestinian identity.

As officers escorted him out of the museum, he shouted: "Free Palestine," the document says.

We've just heard from officials in DC following yesterday's attack. Here's a recap of what they said:

• Interim US Attorney for the District of Washington Jeanine Pirro said the shooting was being investigated as an act of terrorism and that more charges may be added
• Pirro said it was "far too early" to say if they would seek the death penalty, but that it was a "death penalty eligible case"
• The FBI's Steve Jensen said the suspect Elias Rodriguez was not known to the bureau, but investigators are looking at his social media accounts and contacting his associates
• The FBI believe Rodriguez travelled to DC for a work conference one day before the attack
• Police chief Pamela A Smith said there would be an increased presence of law enforcement in the area

The FBI's Steve Jensen says they believe suspect Elias Rodriguez travelled to DC for a work conference.

The FBI is contacting Rodriguez's employers to learn more, he says.

Pirro jumps in to say an attorney was appointed for Rodriguez in court and he was informed about the possibility of receiving the death penalty or a life sentence.

Pirro says a preliminary hearing will be held on 18 June.

And with that the press conference is over.

Image source, Pool

Asked by a reporter whether she will be seeking the death penalty in this case, Pirro says the president and attorney general have both indicated that in cases where the death penalty is warranted and seems appropriate, it will be used.

"It's far too early to say whether that is the case, but this is a death penalty eligible case," she says.

Was the suspect on the FBI's radar?

The FBI's Steve Jensen says there is nothing in criminal records to indicate he was previously known to the bureau.

Jensen says there is a "lot of unknowns" and they are trying to put a picture together about the suspect.

DC attorney general Jeanine Pirro is asked by a journalist how the suspect knew about the event, as it was private and not publicised.

Pirro says that is yet unknown and will be clarified as the investigation ensues.

She says they are investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism and that more charges may be added as it continues.

Image source, Pool

"Make no mistake - this attack was targeted antisemitic violence and won't be tolerated," Jensen adds.

"The significant charges are a step towards securing justice for the victims and their families," he says.

He says there's no ongoing threat to the community, adding that there are gaps in the investigation.

The subject arrived in DC on 20 May and was taken into custody on 21 May, he says.

Steve Jensen, from the FBI in Washington, says the killings are "both an act of terror and directed violence against the Jewish community".

It has the "full and unwavering attention of the FBI," he adds.

Jensen says the office is contacting the suspect's associates, getting search warrants and reviewing his social media accounts.

The FBI is aware of some "writings" purported to be from the suspect, and they are actively investigating if they belong to him.

Image source, Pool

Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department Pamela A Smith is up next and seeks to reassure the public.

She says around the Washington DC area, the public will see an increased presence of law enforcement.

"If you see something, say something", she said to the public.

Image source, Pool

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is up next and she echoes Pirro's statement, saying "this crime will not be tolerated in our city".

She says there are "families in Washington DC who are suffering and afraid", adding that the feeling is "represented around the globe".

"Sadly we have had practice standing together as a community to fight antisemitism," she says.

"In this moment we stand shoulder-to-shoulder as one community."

The DC attorney general says the area remains a "cornerstone of the Jewish community in Washington DC".

She says: "Violence against someone on the basis of religion is an act of cowardice".

"Antisemitism will no be tolerated," she adds.

She says these are the initial charges and police are working through the evidence "furiously and diligently".

Pirro says the shooting is a "horrific crime" and will not be tolerated.

The investigation is continuing, she says and we will hear from other leaders assembled.

She says the case picks at old sores and old scars.

Interim US Attorney for the District of Washington Jeanine Pirro says the community is reeling "as result of one person's actions" and "two families are grieving".

She says Elias Rodriguez has been charged with various crimes by complaint - murder in the first degree of Lischinsky and Milgrim, as well as several felony firearms charges.

We're now hearing from officials in DC, including Jeanine Pirro Interim US Attorney for the District of Washington.

We'll bring you the key lines from that press conference, and you can follow along by pressing watch live at the top of this page.

Elias Rodriguez, the suspect of last night's attack in Washington DC, has been charged with two counts of first degree murder.

He has also been charged with murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.

Image source, Reuters

Earlier today, Jewish community leaders organised an impromptu gathering in the city, condemning the shooting in deeply emotional speeches, and also singing songs.

Some of those in the crowd were visibly shaken, some were in tears.

"How can we stand here like it's normal, like this is our world?" one rabbi said.

Pratiksha Ghildial
US reporter

New York City's mayor Eric Adams has condemned the incident in Washington as ''senseless and ''despicable''.

He led a press conference a short while ago with Jewish members of his administration and other faith leaders.

Adams said the shooting will leave a scar not only on the Jewish citizens of New York and the country, but ''all of us of good will".

He assured New Yorkers that there was no known connection to the city but that as a precaution the NYPD was increasing security at Jewish places of worship and institutions alongside Israeli diplomatic facilities.

He said it was wrong to describe protests which have taken place in the aftermath of the October 7 Hamas attacks as anti-Israel but not antisemitic.

"They are one and the same," he said.

He went on to add that New York, home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, has no place for any kind of hate.

For Nimrod Flaschenberg, an Israeli citizen who lives in Germany, it is the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu's government on Gaza which are endangering Israelis around the world.

He tells the BBC World Service's OS programme that he believes many Israeli citizens who live overseas object to those actions, but their nationality has become politicised.

“When I present myself as Israeli I feel like I need to also add a caveat,” he says.

“I am an Israeli, but I am not for this.”

But for Ruti Shalev, an Israeli based in the Netherlands, safety concerns have no bearing on her daily life.

“I’m sure that it’s scary for many people – but I refuse to go into that corner,” she says.

She often has conversations with her daughters in public in Hebrew, and says she’s taught them to be proud of their Israeli heritage, despite experiencing direct hostility in the past.

“Israeli politics is sometimes perceived as a threat to the Israeli identity – I prefer seeing it as a challenge.”

Image source, Reuters

Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, says he rejects the premise that antisemitism is rising because of Israel’s “defence of its country.”

“Hamas declared war, Israel is responding to that war,” he says.

Leiter goes on to say that antisemitism is on the rise because of countries such as France, who he says are proposing a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state.

He says that Hamas is a "death cult that declared war on behalf of Iran", and last night's attack in Washington is an "extension" of that.

“Israel is resilient, the US is resilient. Together we are going to defeat this anti-Zionism," he says.