2 weeks ago
The US justness section will activity nan decease punishment for nan man accused of fatally shooting 2 unit members of nan Israeli embassy successful Washington extracurricular a Jewish museum, prosecutors said successful a tribunal filing connected Friday.
Elias Rodriguez faces national dislike crime and execution charges successful nan killings of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim arsenic they near an arena astatine nan depository past May. Rodriguez shouted “free Palestine” during nan shooting and later told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” according to his indictment.
The charges against Rodriguez see a dislike crime resulting successful death. The indictment besides includes announcement of typical findings, which allows prosecutors to prosecute nan decease penalty.
“My connection to anyone who seeks to perpetrate governmental unit successful this territory – DC is not nan place. You will beryllium held accountable and you will look nan afloat wrath of nan law,” Jeanine Pirro, nan US lawyer for nan District of Columbia said astatine an unrelated news convention connected Friday successful which she revealed nan justness department’s decease punishment decision.
The dislike crime charges mean prosecutors will person to beryllium that Rodriguez was motivated by antisemitism erstwhile he allegedly opened occurrence connected Lischinsky and Milgrim, a young mates who were astir to go engaged. Milgrim was a US national and Lischinsky was an Israeli national moving successful nan US. The killings prompted bipartisan outrage from lawmakers successful nan country’s capital.
Prosecutors person described nan sidesplitting arsenic calculated and planned, saying Rodriguez flew to nan Washington region from Chicago up of nan 21 May 2025 arena astatine nan Capital Jewish Museum pinch a handgun successful his checked luggage.
Witnesses described him pacing extracurricular earlier approaching a group of 4 group and opening fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing person to Lischinsky and Milgrim arsenic they fell to nan ground, leaning complete them and firing further shots. He appeared to reload earlier jogging off, officials person said.
After nan shooting, authorities opportunity Rodriguez went wrong nan depository and said: “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I americium unarmed,” according to tribunal documents. He besides told detectives that he admired an active-duty aerial unit personnel who group himself connected fire extracurricular nan Israeli embassy successful February 2024, describing nan man arsenic “courageous” and a “martyr”.
