Gunshots During Washington Event Lead to Diplomat Deaths

Katie Karisher was in attendance at an event in Washington when gunfire erupted late Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of two Israeli diplomats in what appeared to be a targeted attack.

In the chaos, Karisher recorded a video of the 30-year-old suspect, Elias Rodriguez, as he was being arrested. While being taken into custody, he shouted, “Free Palestine!”—though not before she had an unsettling interaction with him.

Karisher recalled a moment when a man entered and reported to the police, mentioning that Rodriguez seemed distressed. She vividly remembers him responding, “Yeah, in fact, that would be great,” which was pretty chilling in the moment.

Not long after, two Israeli diplomats were fatally shot during this event, held at the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

As the conversation continued, she asked the suspect whether he liked the museum. He then questioned her, “Do you think that’s why they did it?” She hesitated, saying it could be possible, but she hoped that wasn’t the case. Rodriguez then reportedly revealed a keffiyeh and exclaimed, “I did this for Gaza,” while yelling, “Free, free Palestine!” The police arrived shortly after to detain him.

Kalisher later commented that the security personnel may not have fully recognized the severity of the situation, possibly acting out of an instinct to protect, suggesting they wanted to keep people safe from any potential violence.

She, along with others nearby, spent roughly ten minutes in the same area with Rodriguez, though it’s unclear if he still possessed any actual weapon at the time.

In another report, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security indicated that Rodriguez had been moving around the museum before aiming at a group of four leaving the building, two of whom were the victims. The victims were identified as Jaron Lisinski and Sarah Milgrim.

Karisher described her own feelings of fear as Rodriguez approached her. Despite witnessing the tragic events, she doesn’t believe he intended to target her personally.

She expressed concern about the rising tide of anti-Semitism in the U.S., reflecting on her own experiences with hate. “This isn’t the first time, and I doubt it will be the last that I see an attack like this,” she stated.

Standing in front of someone allegedly involved in a murder, Karisher felt a profound sense of luck to be alive. “I feel very sad for the victims and their families. That could have easily been me,” she added.