Authorities are investigating deadly shootings outside the Washington, D.C. capital, Jewish Museum.
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Released on May 28, 2025
After two Israeli embassy employees were fatally shot in Washington, DC last week, some social media users claimed it was a “fake flag” because of when and where the incident happened.
“So, two Israeli diplomats are telling me they were killed across the street from a *closed* FBI field office four hours ago,” the X-Post said. “And the day after Israel was fired by a European diplomat and Europe was talking about sanctions, don’t you think it’s a false flag?”
Other X posts have similar speculated about the fatal shooting on May 21.
The phrase “fake flag” comes from the literal misuse of flags. Historically, false flag operations referred to ships that raised the flags of other countries for the purposes of military force or deception.
Some confirmed false flag manipulation has occurred throughout history. However, they have been kicked out in recent years by conspiracy theories that label real events as “fake flags,” or attacks designed to appear to have been committed by one person or a party when they are actually committed by someone else.
The claims of the unfounded, false flag often follow a massive amount of violent incidents, including the Israeli war with Gaza, the 2022 Ubarde School shooting, and the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
Historians warn that social media rumors claiming that big news events are “fake flags” should be skeptical. The operation of actual fake flags is logistically complicated and tends to involve many people.
Politifact found no credible evidence to support the allegations that shootings by employees of the Israeli Embassy were false flags.
What we know about filming
According to the X Post, the shooting that took place on Wednesday was a “fake flag” as the museum had been closed four hours ago. The museum usually closes at 5pm on Wednesdays, but closes at 8pm on the first Wednesday of each month.
However, the American Jewish Commission held an event at the museum, which is scheduled to close at 9pm on May 21st.
According to a preliminary investigation, the shooting occurred after 9pm on site, Yaron Lisinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim have concluded an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, Pamela A. Smith, police chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, said at a press conference on May 21.
Police have identified the suspect as Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old man from Chicago, Illinois. After being arrested, Rodriguez chanted “Free, Free, Palestine,” Smith said. The Justice Department has charged him with the murder of foreign officials and other crimes.
The widely criticized shootings have come as Israel’s actions in Gaza sparked global rage and protests calling for a ceasefire.
Janine Piro, a US lawyer for the District of Columbia, said on May 22 that the incident is being investigated as a hate crime and “terrorism.”
The Capital Jewish Museum is located diagonally adjacent to the street from the FBI’s DC Field Office. FBI director Kash Patel and the Israeli government condemned the shooting.
There is no evidence that the shooting was a false flag. We will evaluate this claim as false.
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