Israeli ambassador meets with family of DC shooting victim

Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Leiter met this weekend with the family of Sarah Milgrim, one of the two victims killed at the Capital Jewish Museum shooting in Washington, D.C., last week. 

Milgrim and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, both Israeli Embassy staffers, were gunned down late Wednesday night while attending a reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee. Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, who was identified as a suspect, was apprehended at the scene and shouted “free, free Palestine” as he was being detained.

“What are you going to solve a problem by shooting two beautiful kids in the back? What is that going to do? All it’s going to do is bring more people together in a determined fashion to stand against this insanity, to stand against this violent kind of antisemitism, this violent approach to solving problems,” Leiter said in an interview with Fox4 that aired Sunday. 

The FBI said it is investigating the shooting as an “act of terror,” and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino added that the “penalties will be harsh as we tighten up this investigation and run down any additional leads.”

During the interview, Leiter elaborated on the importance of meeting the family in Kansas City, Mo. 

“When Sarah and Yaron fell, I understood that it was my responsibility as ambassador to call the parents and be the one to inform them. I did my best to comfort them on the phone. But comfort when you’re announcing the worst of all is very difficult. So I wanted to follow through and fly out here to spend some time,” Leiter said. 

“What we need to show is a lot of love, compassion, and understanding, and hopefully help the Milgrims begin the process of healing. The pain never goes away, but you learn how to live for the life that has been taken,” the ambassador added.