In a tragic case of mistaken identity, witnesses at a Washington Jewish museum gave water and comfort to a gunman who had just murdered two Israeli embassy workers, believing he was a victim of the attack he had perpetrated.
At a Glance
Elias Rodriguez, 30, shot and killed two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington DC
Museum attendees mistook the shooter for a victim, offering him water and comfort
Rodriguez later revealed a Palestinian keffiyeh and declared “I did it. I did this for Gaza”
The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were a couple planning to get engaged
Deadly Confusion: Shooter Posed as Victim
In what has to be one of the most disturbing examples of deadly deception in recent memory, a gunman who murdered two Israeli embassy workers outside a Washington Jewish museum was initially mistaken for a victim of his own attack. The shooter, later identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, managed to gain entry to the museum after the shooting by appearing distressed and in shock. This wasn’t just a failure of security – it was a calculated exploitation of human compassion that allowed a cold-blooded killer to sit among the very people he had just traumatized.
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Museum attendees, witnessing what they believed was a man suffering from the trauma of a shooting, responded with kindness and concern. They offered Rodriguez water and attempted to comfort him, completely unaware they were aiding the very person responsible for the bloodshed outside. One witness, Katie Kalisher, described the surreal scene that unfolded: “We heard gunshots and then a man comes in and he looks really distressed. People are talking to him and trying to calm him down.”
“I Did This For Gaza”: The Shocking Revelation
The charade came to an abrupt end when Rodriguez revealed a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf and made his horrifying confession. According to witnesses, he declared, “I did it. I did this for Gaza.” Let that sink in. This man executed two innocent Israeli embassy workers on American soil and then had the audacity to hide among potential victims before proudly announcing his terrorist motivations. This isn’t just murder – it’s terrorism with a political agenda, plain and simple, yet another example of how anti-Israel sentiment has morphed into deadly antisemitism right here in our nation’s capital.
“‘I did it. I did this for Gaza'” – Katie Kalisher.
Witness Yoni Kalin described the confusion that allowed Rodriguez to initially blend in with actual victims, saying, “I guess they were thinking that he was a victim.” This tragic miscalculation gave the shooter precious minutes inside the facility before his true identity was revealed. While it’s natural to respond with compassion during a crisis, this case starkly illustrates how our good intentions can be manipulated by those with malicious intent. Rodriguez’s behavior represents a particularly twisted form of deception – committing murder and then posing as someone traumatized by it.
A Love Story Cut Short
Behind the headlines of this attack lies a devastating human tragedy. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were both employees at the Israeli embassy in Washington DC. But they weren’t just colleagues – they were a couple with dreams and plans for their future together. Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Yechiel Leiter, revealed that Lischinsky had been planning to propose to Milgrim. Instead of celebrating an engagement, their families are now planning funerals, all because of one man’s twisted ideological hatred.
“I guess they were thinking that he was a victim” – Yoni Kalin.
This attack adds to a disturbing trend of rising antisemitism across America since October 7th. The shooter’s explicit connection of his actions to Gaza demonstrates how foreign conflicts are being weaponized on American soil to target Jewish Americans and Israelis. The Biden administration’s weak responses to campus antisemitism and its increasingly hostile stance toward Israel have created an environment where such attacks become more likely. When leadership fails to firmly condemn antisemitism and instead wavers in its support for Israel, it sends a dangerous message that such hatred might be justified.
