Two Israeli Embassy Staff Members Shot and Killed Outside Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C., Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action Respond 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Everytown for Gun Safety and its grassroots network, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, released the following statements after two Israeli Embassy staff members were killed in a shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday night in a targeted attack where the American Jewish Committee was hosting an event. 

“The devastating combination of hate and access to guns has led to two young people losing a future full of hope and love,” said Constance Freeman, a volunteer with the D.C. chapter of Moms Demand Action. “We are all grieving alongside the loved ones of the victims whose lives are forever changed and the entire Jewish community because someone with hate in their heart had access to a gun. We refuse to accept this as our reality and we must work together for a future where none of us are targeted because of our religion or identity.” 

“We are devastated by this hateful act of gun violence that took the lives of two young people who had their entire futures ahead of them,” said Michal Heimowitz, a volunteer with Students Demand Action and leader of Students Demand Action’s Jewish Affinity Group. “The sad truth is that none of us are safe from gun violence in a world where hate is so prevalent and guns are so accessible. We must stay committed to disarming hate so that we can have a safer future for ourselves and the next generation.”

In the six years since the mass shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, which is remembered as the deadliest antisemitic attack in United States history, antisemitism has continued to rise in the United States. Over 25,000 hate crimes in the U.S. involve a firearm in an average year — an estimated 69 a day. 

The vast majority of reported hate crimes are directed against communities of color, religious minorities, and LGBTQ+ people. More information on the intersection between hate crimes and firearms is available here.