Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., declined to respond to media questions about the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., which resulted in the deaths of two Israeli Embassy staff members on Wednesday evening.
When questioned about her response to the shooting on Thursday, Omar, who is the first Somali American to serve in Congress, answered, “I’m going to go for now.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Omar’s office for a statement, but did not receive an immediate reply.
Subsequently, Omar expressed her dismay at the incident, condemning the violence.
“I am appalled by the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum last night,” Omar said in a post on X on Thursday. “Holding the victims, their families, and loved ones in my thoughts and prayers. Violence should have no place in our country.”
According to the Embassy of Israel, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim were shot and killed as they left an event at the museum on Wednesday night. The two intended to become engaged soon.
Authorities have identified Elias Rodriguez, a 30-year-old man from Chicago supporting the Palestinian cause, as the suspect who was taken into custody in connection with the crime.
Omar, among the first Muslim women elected to Congress, has faced criticism for her remarks about the Jewish community, especially after speaking at a Columbia University encampment in April 2024 where she stated that all Jewish children should be protected “whether they’re pro-genocide or anti-genocide.”
That same month, Omar’s daughter, Isra Hirsi, was arrested while participating in a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University.
Lischinsky was born in Israel and raised in Germany. His father is Jewish and his mother is Christian, and the family is recognized as Christian. Milgrim worked for the Israeli Embassy as an American staff member.
Former President Donald Trump and other Republican figures have described the attack as an act of antisemitism and publicly condemned it.
“These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!” he wrote on Truth Social post. “Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also addressed the situation, promising consequences for those behind the attack.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the murder of two staff members from the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC,” Rubio wrote Thursday on X. “Our prayers are with their loved ones. This was a brazen act of cowardly, antisemitic violence. Make no mistake: we will track down those responsible and bring them to justice.”
