White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Donald Trump is "saddened and outraged" by the fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy staff members on Wednesday night outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington and that the culprit will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Leavitt made the comments at a briefing that aired live on Newsmax and the Newsmax2 free online streaming platform.
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, were gunned down outside the museum after attending an event. The suspect, Elias Rodriguez, 31, reportedly shouted "Free, free Palestine" after Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Milgrim, an American, were shot. He admitted shooting them, witnesses and D.C. law enforcement said.
"Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were a beautiful young couple," Leavitt said. "In fact, we learned that Yaron was planning to propose to Sarah next week in Jerusalem. Yaron's father, Daniel, spoke about the young couple's devotion for one another this morning.
"He said, 'They were in love, one for the other. The embassy told us they were like a star couple at the embassy. I never expected something like this. He had his whole life before him.'
"These words, especially every parent knows, are heart-wrenching. The evil of antisemitism must be eradicated from our society."
Leavitt said she spoke earlier Thursday with Attorney General Pam Bondi and that "the Department of Justice will be prosecuting the perpetrator responsible for this to the fullest extent of the law."
"Hatred has no place in the United States of America under President Donald Trump," Leavitt said. "Everyone here at the White House is praying for the victims' friends and families during this unimaginable time."
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Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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