DC Embassy Shooting: Suspect Faces Hate Crime, Terrorism Charges in Israeli Staffers’ Deaths

In a chilling act of violence in Washington, D.C., Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old from Chicago, faces escalating charges after allegedly gunning down two Israeli Embassy staffers, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, on Wednesday evening. The Justice Department is weighing additional charges, including hate crimes and terrorism, which could be filed imminently, sources say.

Rodriguez, already charged with murdering foreign officials—a federal capital offense—along with firearm violations and two counts of first-degree murder, could face the death penalty if convicted. Under D.C. law, first-degree murder carries a minimum of 30 years to life in prison. He’s been detained without bond, with a preliminary hearing set for June 18.

The attack occurred outside an American Jewish Committee event, where Lischinsky, 31, and Milgrim, 26, a couple soon to be engaged, were ambushed. Surveillance footage captured a hooded figure in a blue jacket and backpack—identified as Rodriguez—approaching the couple at a crosswalk, drawing a 9mm handgun, and firing without warning. After they collapsed, he allegedly reloaded and continued shooting, targeting Milgrim as she tried to crawl away. Authorities recovered 21 shell casings, an empty handgun, and a discarded magazine at the scene.

Lischinsky was pronounced dead at 9:14 p.m., Milgrim at 9:35 p.m. Both autopsies are pending. A witness, Katie Kalisher, described a disturbing encounter with Rodriguez post-shooting. Soaked from rain and visibly distressed, he entered a nearby Jewish museum, feigned ignorance about its purpose, then chillingly confessed, pulling a kaffiyeh from his bag and shouting, “I did it. I did this for Gaza. Free, Free Palestine!” before his arrest.

This tragedy underscores the persistent shadow of targeted violence, raising urgent questions about motive and security in an increasingly volatile world.