Two staff members of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC were shot and killed on Wednesday evening (local time) while leaving an event at a Jewish museum, and the suspect yelled, “Free, free Palestine” after he was arrested, the police said.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organised visits and missions to Israel. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said at a news conference.