OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Kansas City's Jewish community is in mourning after a 26-year-old woman from Johnson County was shot and killed in a likely hate crime in Washington D.C.
A vigil was held on Thursday night in honor of Sarah Milgrim.
Milgrim, and her boyfriend, Yaron Lischinsky, attended a Wednesday night event at the Capital Jewish Museum. They were murdered outside the museum shortly after leaving the event. Both were staffers at the Israeli Embassy.
The FBI called it a "targeted, anti-Semitic attack".
Suspect Elias Rodriguez is charged with multiple counts of murder.
According to court documents, surveillance video shows Rodriguez walking past the couple outside the Capital Jewish Museum. He then turns around and shoots them multiple times. Rodriguez was arrested at the museum.
A court document states "Rodriguez spontaneously stated on scene to police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.”
Co-workers said Yaron recently bought an engagement ring and planned to propose to Milgrim soon.
Sarah's father, who lives in Prairie Village, said he was so proud of her.
"Sarah's a wonderful girl and she was as close to perfect as any human could be," Robert Milgrim said. "If there are more people like her in the world then we wouldn't be in the state that we're in today."
Any deadly violence sends shock waves through the Jewish community, but Milgrim was from the metro.
More than 100 people packed the Jewish Community Center Thursday night in Overland Park.
Milgrim's friends, family and faith community mourned the tragic loss.
Though it was a very somber night of mourning, there was a strong sense of love flowing through the gathering.
"Tomorrow we can talk about resilience, tomorrow we can talk about healing, tomorrow we can try and make sense of this and even talk about hope," Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City president Jay Lewis said. "All we can do tonight is to come together as a community, to mourn, to cry and to hug each other."
Milgrim may not have personally known everyone standing inside the community center, but the community loves her and will carry on her memory.
"It's a very tough day for all of us in Kansas City," Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City vice president Derek Gale said. "She was someone who, I think, saw the world in a particular way as an optimist."
Milgrim's former Rabbi, Neal Schuster, shared his memories of Sarah's life which was cut too short at 26-years-old.
"It just aches without explanation to think of what won't be in Sarah's life," Rabbi Schuster said. "Experiencing love will not be one."
Friends, family and her soon-to-be fiance, Lischinsky, all loved Milgrim fiercely.
College roommate Amanda Birger explained Sarah was intelligent, compassionate and always fighting for what is right, including standing up against antisemitism.
"I'm very lucky to have been one of the people to feel that love that she gave to her friends," Birger said. "She made me want to be more Jewish."
Not even 24 hours after the murders in Washington D.C., the Kansas City Jewish community is standing strong in the face of hate.
"In Sarah's memory, I encourage you to explore your faith and stand proudly in it as she did," Birger said. "Don't let hateful ignorance dim your Jewish light."
There is a long road ahead for healing and finding the answers, but for now, the Jewish community is focusing on being there for one another.
"The goal was not to have a certain number of people here, but really just to have an opportunity for people to be together and feel together," Gale said. "We have love for each other at a very challenging time in the community."
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