Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago, opened fire outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., Wednesday evening just after 9:00 P.M. local time. Ear-witnesses inside the museum reported two volleys of shots which killed an Israeli couple leaving an event there and wounded two more. All four victims worked for the Israeli embassy adjacent to the museum. Rodriguez had been seen walking outside the museum apparently waiting for the event to end.

Event organizers required registration before divulging the time and place of the event, which was intended for young diplomats, according to media reports.

The suspect reportedly hid his gun outside then posed as a pedestrian fleeing the shooting to gain entrance to the museum. Security let him in. When police arrived on the scene outside, the young man began chanting “free Palestine.” He told police he was unarmed and surrendered to them, continuing his chanting in handcuffs.

According to media reports, Israeli spokespeople have said they will strengthen security at Israeli diplomatic installations around the world because of this event and rising anti-Semitism.

This was the first successful assassination of a foreign diplomat in Washington, D.C., since the car-bomb killing of former Chilean diplomat Orlando Letelier in 1976.

Update: Media outlets have dropped the report of two additional victims wounded in the attack.