Washington, May 23
US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen on Friday called the tragic murder of two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, both an act of terror and directed violence against the Jewish community.
Addressing a press conference, he stated that the matter has the full and unwavering attention of the FBI, and it will continue to pursue all leads and use all available resources to investigate the attack.
“With the assistance of FBI offices across the country, we're continuing to investigate and contact the subject's associates, family members, and co-workers. We are also executing search warrants for his electronic devices and reviewing his social media accounts,” Jensen said.
The shooting took place outside an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee for Young Diplomats at the Lillian and Albert Small Capital Jewish Museum.
The single shooter was identified by police as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago. Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news briefing the suspect shouted "Free, free Palestine!" while being taken into custody.