BREAKING NEWS Anguish of DC shooting suspect's family as Daily Mail phones them after Israeli couple killed at Jewish museum
The family of the pro-Palestinian suspect in the slaying of two young Israeli diplomats were lost for words over the horrific attack in Washington D.C.
Daily Mail contacted the parents of Elias Rodriguez, 30, by phone Thursday morning, just hours after their son allegedly shot and killed the two victims at point-blank range outside the Jewish Museum Wednesday night.
When asked for her reaction to the shocking attack, a nervous-sounding woman at the Franklin Park home of the suspect's mom Elvira Rodriguez abruptly said 'I have no comment' before quickly hanging up the phone.
Meanwhile, the accused killer's father, Eric Rodriguez, appeared to be too distraught to speak.
At his address in Chicago, a woman came to the phone and explained that he is not speaking to anyone at this time.
The stunned silence from the family comes as a chilling manifesto believed to be left by the suspected shooter pays tribute to his loved ones, amid a rambling diatribe about the conflict in Gaza and the American government.
'I love you Mom, Dad, baby sis, the rest of my familia, including you, O*****,' the manifesto, obtained and shared online by journalist Ken Klippenstein, reads.
In the manifesto, signed off with the suspect's name, Rodriguez appears to defend the 'morality of armed demonstration' as he railed against the death toll in Gaza.
In a seeming hint at what he was about to do, the 900-word statement said he was 'glad that today at least there are many Americans for which the action will be highly legible and, in some funny way, the only sane thing to do.'
It was posted online around the time of the shooting, which claimed the lives of young couple Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.
The two victims were soon to be engaged.
They had been attending a Young Diplomats event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the Capital Jewish Museum Wednesday night.
At the end of the event, Lischinsky and Milgrim were stood outside with a group of people when a gunman approached and opened fire.
In the chaotic aftermath, the suspect was pulled inside the building by security staff believing him to be an innocent bystander and handed water as he appeared to be in shock.
When police arrived on the scene, Rodriguez allegedly confessed to police that he was the assailant, telling officers he 'did it for Gaza.'
A witness told Fox5 that he pulled out a red keffiyeh - a Palestinian scarf - from his pocket and waved it, shouting 'Free, free Palestine' as he was hauled into custody.
The suspect also led police to the murder weapon, police said.
Prior to the deadly shooting, Rodriguez was not known to police, according to Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
FBI agents in full tactical gear descended on his apartment set in a leafy courtyard in Chicago as the investigation into the attack continues.
Before Wednesday's shooting, Rodriguez has previously taken part in liberal, pro-Palestinian protests.
Photos show him at a Black Lives Matter protest in 2017.
That same year, he was quoted in an article by Liberation condemning the police shooting of black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald and railing against then-Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's plans to allow Amazon to build a headquarters in the city.
'The wealth that Amazon has brought to Seattle has not been shared with its black residents,' Rodriguez said in the paper, which is ran by the activist group Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PSL).
'Amazon's whitening of Seattle is structurally racist and a direct danger to all workers who live in that city.
'So, do we in Chicago and all across the country want a nation of cities dominated and occupied by massive corporations where only the rich and white can live and the vast majority of us must live on edges of the city and society living in deeper and deeper poverty?'
Despite his past connections to the PSL, the group issued a statement on X saying that Rodriguez is not a member and has no affiliation to the group.
According to his LinkedIn, Rodriguez works as a profiles administrative specialist at the American Osteopathic Information Association - a non-profit that focuses on promoting osteopathic medicine.
Prior to this, he worked at The History Makers - a non-profit research and educational institution focused on telling 'the untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans' - between 2023 and 2024.
DailyMail.com has reached out to both organizations.
A woman at The History Makers hung up the phone when asked for comment about their former employee.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
15 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Afternoon Update: critics call for Aukus exit; ‘no corruption' in Higgins' $2.4m settlement; and a strawberry moon
Good afternoon. A chorus of Aukus sceptics, including former prime ministers Paul Keating and Malcolm Turnbull, say a US review into the nuclear-powered submarine program is an 'opportunity' for Australia to escape a deal that would cost hundreds of billions of dollars and leave the country ultimately less able to defend itself. The Pentagon overnight announced it had launched a review of the Aukus agreement to make sure it is aligned with Donald Trump's 'America first' agenda, throwing the defence pact with Britain and Australia into doubt. The defence minister, Richard Marles, downplayed the development, saying it was 'natural' that the US would examine the project, but that he believed there was still strong support for the trilateral agreement in Washington DC. The shadow defence minister, Angus Taylor, said Anthony Albanese must seek to safeguard Aukus by meeting Trump as soon as possible. Turnbull, whose pre-existing submarine deal with French shipbuilder Naval was dramatically torn up in favour of Aukus in 2021, said Australia should 'wake up' and review the agreement as well, while Keating, a longtime critic of the program, said the review 'might very well be the moment Washington saves Australia from itself'. Watchdog finds 'no corruption' in $2.4m settlement to Brittany Higgins after alleged rape Monash IVF CEO resigns after second embryo bungle Erin Patterson says she didn't deliberately source death caps and serve to guests as murder trial evidence concludes Sydney Theatre Company books $10m revenue boost after Dorian Gray production becomes global hit Australian Human Rights Commission president calls for end to police investigating deaths in police custody University staff say Woodside-backed climate conference highlights concerns about energy giant partnership Israeli forces kill at least 60 Palestinians seeking food in Gaza, health officials say The 'strawberry moon', so named because it traditionally denoted the start of strawberry picking in the northern hemisphere, could be seen in skies around the world on the night of 10-11 June. From Dubai to the Parthenon, see our gallery of the best shots. 'World records are made to be broken. So by the time I leave this sport, I want to make sure that that record is as fast as possible.' – Summer McIntosh The 18-year-old from Toronto broke her third swimming world record in five days at the Canadian Swimming Trials, clocking 4:23.65 in the women's 400m individual medley. McIntosh becomes the first swimmer to break world records in three different individual events at one long course meet since Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Official data shows the rate of Aboriginal hanging deaths is at a 17-year high, a number which correlates with Australia's surging prisoner population. Guardian Australia has spent months investigating hanging deaths in every state and territory. The investigation has revealed a staggering death toll linked to inaction on known hanging points. Sign up to Afternoon Update Our Australian afternoon update breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Whether wistful or euphoric, Brian Wilson made pop's most overwhelmingly beautiful music He was the Beach Boys' resident genius, seeping melancholy into even peppy teenybopper hits. Beyond all the myths about his life, writes Alexis Petridis, that brilliance is still intoxicating Today's starter word is: BAND. You have five goes to get the longest word, including the starter word. Play Wordiply. Enjoying the Afternoon Update? Then you'll love our Morning Mail newsletter. Sign up here to start the day with a curated breakdown of the key stories you need to know, and complete your daily news roundup. And follow the latest in US politics by signing up for This Week in Trumpland.
Daily Mail
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Protest curfews spread to Washington as LA moves to arrest 'bad actors' and unrest continues in NYC and Chicago
Massive anti-ICE riots have spread from coast to coast as Los Angeles tries to crack down on 'bad actors' at fiery protests that continued for a sixth consecutive day on Wednesday. The City of Angels has been reeling since Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents first conducted raids in the city on Friday, sparking viral clashes between officers in riot gear and protesters who set vehicles on fire. Some have even taken advantage of the chaos as they looted more than 20 stores. But in cities across the nation, residents are rallying to show their support for the people of Los Angeles as they hold their own anti-ICE demonstrations - prompting Republicans to investigate who may be behind the uprising. Protests have popped up in cities like New York City and Chicago, and in Spokane, Washington, Mayor Lisa Brown was forced to impose a curfew after large groups of protesters took to the streets and blocked off roads. Officers who responded to the scene were then seen donning gas masks and deploying a device that released smoke into the crowd, causing them to disperse and begin shouting at police, CNN reports. A total of 30 people have since been arrested in the Washington city. It comes just one day after Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued her own lockdown from 8pm to 6am, saying she was trying to 'stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President's chaotic escalation' after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines to the city. But protesters have remained on the scene, with 17 people arrested on Tuesday for violating the curfew, according to the Los Angeles Times. Even more arrests were made Wednesday, as curfew went into effect for a second consecutive and police quickly drove rioters out. Officers were seen on horseback charging into a crowd at City Hall, causing several demonstrators to fall to the ground. Cops then pushed hundreds of protesters into Gloria Molina Grand Park, where they gathered and began chanting 'Shame.' Yet they seemed to be aware of their situation, as they wrote the number for bail support on their arms. Meanwhile, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced criminal charges against eight people who allegedly attacked police, vandalized building and looted stores since the unrest began. 'If people want to hurl insults, we will protect that,' he said at a news conference Wednesday. 'If people want to engage in crimes, we will prosecute that.' His office said three people were charged with using fireworks and motorcycles to hurt officers, after two were caught on camera slamming their bikes into a police skirmish line. Hochman also announced charges against two people who allegedly joined a break in at a downtown Los Angeles Nike store and felony vandalism charges against people accused of tagging the downtown Hall of Justice - which houses the headquarters for the District Attorney's Office and the Sheriff's Department. More unruly rioters may also find themselves criminally charged in the coming days, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. He explained that officers are continuing to review footage from the riots. 'If you didn't get caught in the last couple of nights, there's a lot of evidence,' Luna said. 'You're probably going to have a detective knocking at your door.' Yet detectives are also trying to figure out how to work with members of the National Guard and the Marines, who arrived in the city on Wednesday. 'The role is still not clear, to us, the Marines or the National Guard, other than they're a support entity to protect federal employees and facilities,' Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell told CNN's Kaitlan Collins. 'This is unprecedented,' he continued. 'As far as the scope of their responsibilities or their abilities relative to arrest or dealing in a municipal environment, that's not something that they do certainly. 'What their training is, we're not sure of that - either on the Army or the Marines as it relates to crowd management, crowd control in an urban environment.' Attorneys representing President Donald Trump, though, argued in court documents on Wednesday that the military forces in Los Angles were not engaging directly in policing as they hit out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom's lawsuit. The governor and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a suit over the president's deployment of the National Guard and the Marines earlier this week, arguing it was unconstitutional because it violates state sovereignty and federal laws that limit the use of military forces for policing. In a desperate attempt to get the forces out of Los Angeles, Newsom also asked a judge on Tuesday for a temporary restraining order on Trump's deployment - which the judge denied. Lawyers for the Trump administration have since filed a response calling California's request for the restraining order a 'crass political stunt endangering American lives.' If it were to be granted, they said, it would prevent the president 'from exercising his lawful statutory and constitutional power' to ensure federal facilities and personnel are protected and that the nation's immigration laws are adequately enforced. A hearing on the matter is now scheduled for Thursday afternoon. In the meantime, local and federal officials have vowed to investigate who may be funding the massive cross country riots. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna on Wednesday said he found 'evidence' outside agitators or an organized group is behind the riots in the city, and said authorities were 'looking to see if there is a conspiracy of some kind or organization,' Newsweek reports. At the federal level, FBI Director Kash Patel also said the bureau 'is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots' as reports emerged that Chinese influence could be behind the chaos, according to The Signal. The US-based Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) organized some of last week's protests in response to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that snowballed into violence over the weekend. The Marxist revolutionaries also played a role in last year's anti-Israel protests that roiled Columbia University. PLS has ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) through Neville Roy Singham, a Connecticut-born tech entrepreneur who operates from Shanghai. Singham, together with his wife, Jodie Evans, the founder of antiwar group Code Pink, have been investigated by House Republicans for promoting protests, dissent and unrest in the US for their bosses in Beijing. Yet even though there may be financial links between Singham, PSL and the peaceful demonstrations against Trump's immigration crackdown, there is nothing to suggest that those protestors are involved in any of the violence or looting in LA. Meanwhile, Republican Sen. Josh Hawley has turned the blame on a Los Angeles immigration organization, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, which he said is 'bankrolling' the unrest. In a letter to Angelica Salas, the head of the organization, Hawley wrote that it should 'cease and desist any further involvement in the organization, funding or promotion of these unlawful activities.' 'Credible reporting now suggests that your organization has provided logistical support and financial resources to individuals engaged in these disruptive actions,' wrote Hawley, who chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism. 'Let me be clear: bankrolling civil unrest is not protected speech. It is aiding and abetting criminal conduct.' Salas, though, has denied the accusations. 'This is trying to take away the spotlight from the pain and suffering that this administration is causing,' she told the LA Times. 'I refuse to make it about anybody else but them.'
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Alex Murdaugh's son Buster's 'bitter' life in isolation and the source of fury at his father that has nothing to do with the murders
Double murderer Alex Murdaugh 's only surviving son is bitter and struggling to escape the stain of his killer father's legacy, the Daily Mail can reveal. Four years after his mother Maggie, 52, and brother Paul, 22, were shot and killed by the disgraced legal scion, the 32-year-old still hasn't adapted to his bleak new reality. Buster Murdaugh grew up as a member of one of South Carolina's most distinguished families but the gruesome slayings carried out by his father and the publicity of the trial that followed have left him without many career opportunities. A source close to him has told the Daily Mail that, though he believes his father to be innocent of the murders, Buster is 'really angry' at the sweeping financial crimes that Murdaugh was subsequently convicted of. 'He's living his life but he doesn't really have too much going on,' a member of his inner circle said. 'He's pretty directionless, but he's figuring it out.' Buster and his family found themselves in the middle of a media firestorm in June 2021 when the elder Murdaugh, a high-profile attorney in South Carolina's Low Country, called 911 to report that he had found the bodies of his wife and son on their sprawling Moselle estate in rural Colleton County. Police arrived to find Maggie and Paul shot dead. Investigators determined that two firearms had been used. Although Murdaugh initially denied involvement, officers soon began to unravel a web of financial mismanagement, embezzlement, fraud and drug abuse. Three months later, Murdaugh - while under suspension for the alleged murders - was shot in the head as he changed a tire on his black Mercedes-Benz SUV. Authorities soon alleged that he had arranged the shooting himself by hiring distant relative Curtis Edward Smith in a failed suicide-for-hire plot so that Buster could receive a $10 million life insurance payout. 'That was a really stressful time for Buster,' the source said. 'He felt like things went from s*** to s***tier. And they keep getting worse.' The ensuing scandal ended one of South Carolina's most dominant family dynasties. A member of the Murdaugh family had served as solicitor of the 14th Judicial Circuit for 86 years, and most family members were prominent attorneys and judges. Murdaugh was ultimately charged with more than 90 financial crimes, ranging from embezzlement to money laundering - and two counts of murder. In March 2023, he was convicted after a highly publicized trial to two consecutive life terms without possibility of parole for killing his wife and son by the dog kennels of the family's hunting lodge in Islandton. He was also sentenced in federal court in April 2024 to 40 years for financial crimes involving millions stolen from clients and colleagues - a sentence that was to run concurrently with his state prison terms. He is being held in protective custody at McCormick Correctional Institution, a maximum security prison where it's likely that he will die. He continues to deny responsibility for the murders. The deaths have spawned multiple documentaries and a motion picture film is in production, with actor Jason Clarke playing Murdaugh. Buster has been trying to get back on his feet with his former long-term girlfriend and now new wife Brooklynn White, an attorney, after he dropped out of law school. The couple moved into a modest three-bedroom home in Bluffton, an hour away from the South Carolina low country estate where Buster was raised. The fallout in the two years since what local media called the 'trial of the century' has taken its toll on Buster, who is frequently confronted by angry members of the public whenever he goes near his hometown. 'You don't run into any of these people in public,' Buster once told his father on a jailhouse phone call. 'But I get stopped and yelled at all the time. I got cussed at in the gas station the other day.' Still, Buster stands by his father, insisting that he would never have murdered his wife and son. In his first and only interview since the murder trial, Buster told the Fox Nation documentary The Fall of the House of Murdaugh: 'I do not think that he could be affiliated with endangering my mother and brother. 'I think that I hold a very unique perspective that nobody else in that courtroom ever held. And I know the love that I have witnessed.' Despite this, the two rarely speak. When they do, the calls are always short and initiated by the elder Murdaugh, now 57, from behind bars. 'I don't think he's got a lot to say to his dad at the moment,' the source added. 'I mean, what's there to talk about'.
