Washington shooting: Terrorism police swarm city street as two people killed in horror attack

police have swarmed a city street - near a Jewish museum - after a man and a woman were .

Officers have warned members of the public to avoid the area around the Capital Jewish Museum in Penn Quarter, Washington DC, following the atrocity. It happened at around 9.15pm on Wednesday (2.15am Thursday in UK) in the US capital, reports local media.

It occurred near the city's police headquarters and in front of the Capital Jewish Museum, an attraction which explores the Jewish experience in the city and wider region. The museum was closed at the time of the shooting, it is believed.

The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force is responding, sources familiar with the shooting told in the US. Police have asked people to avoid the area whiley they investigate.

For the latest updates on the Washington shooting, .

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No further details about the man and woman, such as their names, their relationship if they knew each other, and their ages, have been disclosed by police at this stage. Unconfirmed reports suggest one of the victims was an embassy staff member. The is working to verify this claim. The police force has confirmed a press conference will take place near the scene shortly.

Israel's Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, has tweeted: "The shooting outside the event at the Jewish Museum in Washington – in which Israeli embassy employees were also injured – is a criminal act of anti-Semitic terrorism. Attacking diplomats and the Jewish community is crossing a red line.

"We are confident that the US authorities will take strong action against those responsible for this criminal act. will continue to act resolutely to protect its citizens and representatives – everywhere in the ."

The police force earlier tweeted: "Shooting investigation in the area of 3rd and F Street NW. Avoid the area. Details to come," a post that has been seen by more than 32,000 - or X - users and shared multiple times.

Footage shared by News4 shows a long line of police cars and ambulances at the scene, each with their emergency lights flashing. Police tape is seen, cordoning off part of a road near the museum. It zooms in to show multiple police officers working at the scene of the gunning.

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