Capital Jewish Museum shooting: Suspect yelled ‘free Palestine’ after firing at Israeli embassy staff

An Israeli embassy staff member is believed to be among the two people shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC

Updated on: May 22, 2025, 09:03:48 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Two Israeli embassy staff members were shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC on Wednesday, Kristi Noem confirmed. Both of them have died. Videos from the scene showed a heavy police presence.

A shooting took place at Capital Jewish Museum, Washington DC (Unsplash)

According to Josh Kraushaar of the Jewish Insider, the suspect opened fire before yelling ‘Free Palestine’. Kraushaar quoted a witness saying: "After the shooting a guy came inside saying he saw it and needed water and a safe space, then whipped out a keffiyeh and yelled free Palestine a bunch before being escorted out by police."

ABC News further cited sources to report that one person died on the scene while the other one was transported to a DC hospital in critical condition. A person of interest is being by being questioned by police.

“The event being held tonight: an annual Young Diplomats Reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee’s DC Young Professional Board,” Josh Kraushaar added on X, platform formerly known as Twitter. He cited a source.

Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon posted on social media that Israeli embassy employees were injured in the fatal shooting.

“The fatal shooting that took place outside the event that took place at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. is a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism. Harming the Jewish community is crossing a red line. We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. Israel will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the world,” he tweeted.

Authorities are yet to confirm the details. The identity of the victims and the suspect is not known yet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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