Gunman Opens Fire on Young Couple Outside Washington Jewish Museum, FBI Reports

The event at the Capital Jewish Museum was a typical Washington evening gathering — a reception hosted by a national advocacy organization that brought together young professionals and foreign diplomats in a neighborhood close to the Capitol.

Outside on the street, a man dressed like an ordinary young Washingtonian, wearing a blue jacket and carrying a backpack, was seen pacing nervously.

According to an FBI affidavit based on surveillance footage, as two young Israeli Embassy aides who were dating exited the reception, the man turned toward their backs, drew a 9-millimeter handgun from his waistband, and fired multiple shots. He reloaded and continued shooting even after the victims had fallen and as the young woman attempted to crawl away.

The assailant then entered the museum, where attendees mistook him for a bystander fleeing the shooting and offered him water. Shortly after, police arrested him, and he shouted a phrase commonly heard at protests worldwide: “Free, free Palestine!”

This attack occurred amid escalating tensions in the United States and internationally, as campuses, European capitals, and American political discourse have been deeply affected by the October 7 Hamas assault on Israel and the subsequent intense Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.

Globally, incidents targeting Jewish individuals and properties have surged since the Hamas attacks and remain at historically elevated levels as Israel continues its military operations and a blockade in Gaza, which the Gaza Health Ministry reports has resulted in over 50,000 Palestinian deaths and pushed the population toward starvation.