A police officer patrols the US Capitol buidling in Washington DC in March 2024. Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News, file

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1748051828916viber_image_2025-05-24_09-54-22-172.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">A police officer patrols the US Capitol buidling in Washington DC in March 2024. <em>Jonathan de Santos, ABS-CBN News, file</em></span></span></span>WASHINGTON — Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday as the US capital reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum.</div><p>The 31-year-old Chicago man accused of Wednesday&#x27;s attack shouted &quot;Free Palestine&quot; as he was taken away by police -- exacerbating fears over rising anti-Semitism since Israel&#x27;s invasion of Gaza following the unprecedented October 2023 Hamas attack.</p><p>&quot;Around DC, you will see an increased presence of law enforcement officers around the community, you will find us around our faith-based organizations,&quot; Metropolitan Police (MPD) Chief Pamela Smith told reporters.</p><p>&quot;You will see an increased presence around our schools and places like the DC Jewish Community Center. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Jewish community.&quot;</p><p>Authorities in Washington said they were investigating the shooting &quot;as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime&quot; ahead of a preliminary court hearing set for alleged killer Elias Rodriguez on June 18.</p><div><br/></div><p>US President Donald Trump — who spoke with Israel&#x27;s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — posted on social media that the attack was clearly anti-Semitic.</p><p>The shooting, just 1.6 kilometers from the White House, triggered international outrage as Israel blamed European criticism of its Gaza offensive, which came in response to the Hamas attack.</p><p>The victims of Wednesday&#x27;s attack, Israeli citizen Yaron Lischinsky and American Sarah Lynn Milgrim, had been planning to marry.</p><div><strong>&#x27;Crazy&#x27;</strong></div><p>Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser gathered her interfaith council, local Jewish leaders, city councillors and law enforcement officials on Thursday to coordinate the community response.</p><p>&quot;We have a long history, and a lot of practice in our city, of working with Jewish organizations around safety and around protection,&quot; she told a news conference.</p><p>Aaron Hiller, head of the board of the Hill Havurah synagogue, who was organizing a vigil for the victims in Washington late Friday, said the attack was &quot;unfortunately ... not unexpected.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Both acts of anti-Semitism and acts of violence are all too common,&quot; Hiller said, though insisting the community was &quot;very safe.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/22/two-israeli-embassy-staff-shot-dead-outside-jewish-museum-in-washington-1527">Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead outside Jewish museum in Washington<br/></a></div><p>&quot;I walk to work and from work very late at night (and) my kids roam the neighborhood freely,&quot; he said.</p><p>But &quot;particularly since the events of October 7th, we are taking steps to enhance our security here and elsewhere.&quot;</p><p>Daniel Ben Chitrit, who was at the vigil, said he was deeply shaken by Wednesday&#x27;s killings, adding that he was supposed to have been at the Jewish Museum that evening.</p><p>&quot;I didn&#x27;t know the victims, but I&#x27;ve met the victims at previous events,&quot; he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/23/un-chief-denounces-cruelest-phase-of-israel-attack-in-gaza-2311">UN chief denounces &#x27;cruelest phase&#x27; of Israel attack in Gaza<br/></a></div><p>He insisted there had been no way for the shooter to know the couple worked at the Israeli embassy.</p><p>&quot;All he knew is that they were coming from the Jewish event,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div>

<p>Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday as the US capital reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum.</p>

Police beefed up security at schools and religious buildings across Washington Friday as the US capital reeled from the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum.

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US tightens security after murder of Israeli embassy staff

Agence France-Presse

Published May 24, 2025 10:06 AM PHT

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