Man charged with murder after two Israeli embassy staff members shot dead in Washington

WASHINGTON D.C. – A 31-year-old Chicago man, Elias Rodriguez, has been charged with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. on Wednesday night. Authorities have swiftly condemned the slayings as a targeted act of terror and are investigating it as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and an act of terrorism.

The victims were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old Israeli citizen and research assistant in the embassy’s political section, and Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old American and member of the embassy’s administrative staff. The couple was reportedly about to become engaged, with Mr. Lischinsky having purchased an engagement ring earlier this week with plans to propose next week in Jerusalem. They were leaving a “Young Diplomats Reception” hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum when the attack occurred. The event focused on interfaith humanitarian aid for Gaza, highlighting the victims’ commitment to bridge-building and peace in the Middle East.

According to charging documents released Thursday, Rodriguez told police after his arrest, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” and shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away. Surveillance video captured the chilling details of the attack, showing Rodriguez firing multiple shots at the victims, continuing to shoot them even after they fell to the ground. In court documents, Rodriguez expressed admiration for the man who self-immolated outside the Israeli embassy in February 2024, describing him as “courageous” and a “martyr.”

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Further details reveal Rodriguez purchased tickets to the museum event approximately three hours before it began. He was seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting, and after the attack, he entered the museum where he was detained by security personnel. A 9mm handgun, purchased by Rodriguez in Illinois in March 2020, was recovered at the scene, along with 21 spent shell casings. He had flown from Chicago to Virginia with the firearm in his checked baggage, having declared it for the flight.

Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, strongly denounced the violence, stating, “Violence against anyone, based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero. Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital.”
The shocking incident has prompted Israeli missions worldwide to heighten their security and lower their flags to half-staff. The killings come amid heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally due to the ongoing war in Gaza, and a documented rise in antisemitic acts globally. Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials, two counts of first-degree murder, and firearms offenses, with prosecutors indicating that additional charges are likely as the investigation continues.