Suspect in shooting outside Jewish museum in DC faces local, federal charges: What we know
The suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy workers outside a Jewish museum in the nation's capital faces charges of murder from both the federal government and D.C. accusing him of firing at close range even as one tried to get away.
The May 21 shooting of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his girlfriend Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, outside the Capital Jewish Museum has drawn universal condemnation from politicians and civil rights leaders, with Attorney General Pam Bondi calling it an antisemitic act of violence.
Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, was arrested after the shooting and on May 22 charged in D.C. with two counts of first-degree murder, and with federal counts of murdering foreign officials and firearm offenses. Upon arrest, Rodriguez allegedly said he "did it for Palestine."
"We are going to continue to investigate this as a hate crime and as a crime of terrorism," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told reporters.
In court on May 22 for his first appearance, Rodriguez waived his right to a detention hearing. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for June 18.
It wasn't clear if Rodriguez had an attorney who could speak on his behalf.
Here's what we know about the shooting:
Lischinsky and Milgrim were shot while they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the museum on May 21 at about 9 p.m.
According to an affidavit in the criminal complaint against Rodriguez, he was seen on surveillance video outside the museum walking across the street toward the museum. The victims were standing outside, preparing to enter a crosswalk. Rodriguez walked passed the victims and two other people, then turned to face the victims' backs and fired several times at them, the affidavit said.
The victims fell to the ground, and Rodriguez then went closer to them. Milgrim was seen on the footage trying to crawl away, and he shot her several more times, the affidavit said. Rodriguez then jogged away.
A witness told investigators they saw Rodriguez make a throwing motion after the shooting, and a firearm was located in that area.
After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum, where people inside spoke with him, unaware he was a suspect. He was detained by event security inside, officials previously said.
Lischinsky and Milgrim were both employees at the Israeli embassy, and were days away from getting engaged, according to Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen and an "official guest" of the United States.
The two were working to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, according to advocacy groups with which they were involved.
Lischinsky was a research assistant for Middle East and North African affairs at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., according to his LinkedIn. Milgrim worked at the Israeli embassy since November 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile, which said her "passion lies at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work."
Sarah Milgrim remembered: Shooting victim was 'a light' who fought antisemitism
Milgrim's friend, Ayelet Razin, told USA TODAY she was dedicated to fighting antisemitism and called her "a light and an enlightened person," someone whose presence could instantly lift the people around her.
"That was her most powerful armor: her wit, her intelligence, and her maturity," Razin said.
While he was detained, Rodriguez shouted "Free, free Palestine," video of him being escorted out of the museum shows.
"I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," he told investigators, according to the affidavit.
He also allegedly expressed admiration for a person who set themselves on fire outside the Israeli embassy in February 2024, calling the person a "martyr," the affidavit said.
Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington, D.C., on May 20, according to the affidavit. He brought a firearm with him in his checked luggage. The gun used at the shooting was a 9mm handgun purchased in Illinois in March 2020.
Rodriguez was born and raised in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, a biography accessed through the Internet Archive from the website for the nonprofit the History Makers said. He worked there as an oral history researcher, according to his LinkedIn account. At the time of the shooting he was working for the American Osteopathic Information Association, the group confirmed in a statement.
Contributing: John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Jorge L. Ortiz and Melina Khan, USA TODAY; Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: DC shooting suspect faces local, federal charges: What we know
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