A young couple, both workers at the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, have been killed after a gunman opened fire outside an event at the city’s Jewish Museum last night.
Named as Yaron Lichinsky and Sarah Milgrim, they were attending the American Jewish Committee’s Young Diplomats Reception when they were shot dead by a man after he reportedly shouted “free Palestine”.
The annual event attracts young Jewish members of the diplomatic community, with this year’s edition sporting the theme “Turning pain into purpose” and focussing on resolving humanitarian crises in the Middle East.
The couple were apparently due to get engaged, with Lichinsky having bought a ring and set a plan to pop the question next week in Jerusalem after they returned from the US.
Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, said: “He bought a ring and planned to propose to her in Jerusalem. A beautiful couple who came to spend an evening at Washington's cultural center.”
Based on their social media activity, it appears they were also committed proponents of de-escalation of the conflict in the Middle East and supporters of a diplomatic peace process between Israel and Palestine.
According to Milgrim’s LinkedIn profile, her professional interests lay “at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work”.
She also had experience in “facilitating insightful discussions on geopolitics in Israel and Palestine” and “comprehensive research on peacebuilding theory, emphasising grassroots initiatives in the Israeli-Palestinian region”.
Her profile added: “I am eager to contribute to organisations dedicated to bridging divides, promoting religious harmony, and advancing sustainable practices."
Befor Milgram moved to America, she worked for Israeli initiative Tech2Peace, which is dedicated to providing cross-community entrepreneurial training.
Likewise, Lichinsky, a German-Israeli dual national made aliyah aged 16 and served in the IDF, posted online that he was an “ardent believer in the vision that was outlined in the Abraham Accords” and beloved “that expanding the circle of peace with our Arab neighbours and pursuing regional cooperation is in the best interest of the State of Israel and the Middle East as a whole.”
A tribute posted by the embassy said: “Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues.
“They were in the prime of their lives. This evening, a terrorist shot and killed them as they exited an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in DC.
"The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time.”
And a friend who worked with Lichinsky at Hebrew University called him “one of the most inspiring and clever individuals” in a post on X.
Police are questioning Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, in relation to the shooting.
DC Police Chief Pamela Smith said that the suspect chanted, “Free, free Palestine” as he was taken into custody.
US media reports also suggest that the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is involved in the investigation.
