Suspect in killing of Israeli Embassy staffers indicted on hate crime charges
The alleged gunman who fatally shot two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., has been indicted on hate crime and murder charges, court records show.
The indictment against Elias Rodriguez, filed Wednesday, alleges he had "expressed support for violence against Israelis" in the days and months leading up to the killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capitol Jewish Museum on May 21.
"Violence against anyone in this District will not be tolerated, especially violence which has hate at its core and is the genesis of violence," D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said at a press conference on Thursday formally announcing the indictment. "The president put me here to do a job, to clean up the District, to make sure that crime doesn't overshadow this phenomenal city, our nation's capital."
Pirro noted the indictment includes a provision that could allow the Justice Department to seek the death penalty if Rodriguez is convicted by a jury.
Pirro also said she personally spoke to Lischinsky and Milgrim's parents prior to her announcement, who she described as "broken" as a result of Rodriguez's alleged actions. She said they will have an "opportunity and a right to put their inputs into what decision we ultimately make" regarding the death penalty.
Rodriguez has remained in custody since his arrest and has not yet entered a plea in his case. A public defender representing him did not respond to ABC News' request for comment.
He was initially charged via criminal complaint a day after the shooting with first-degree murder, murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Pirro emphasized at the time that the charges were only initial in nature.
The indictment adds two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death and two local counts of assault with intent to kill while armed.
Early last month, prosecutors in Rodriguez's case sought an extension for time to return an indictment against him, noting the complex and unusual nature of the charges he was facing.
Federal prosecutors cite in the indictment a document allegedly authored by Rodriguez titled "Explication," dated just one day before the shooting. In the writings, the author addresses the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and suggests the latest death toll has been underestimated.
Prosecutors also point to online posts and messages allegedly written by Rodriguez dating back to January 2024 that they say showed support for violence against Israelis. Among them, on Jan. 1, 2024, Rodriguez allegedly posted to social media, "Happy New Year, Death to Israel," according to the indictment.
Rodriguez was seen in videos shouting "Free, Free Palestine!" inside the museum just minutes after he allegedly shot Lischinsky and Milgrim dozens of times, and later allegedly told police upon his arrest, "I did it for Palestine."
The complaint alleges that Rodriguez shot the couple in the back and then fired again at Milgrim as she tried to crawl away.
Lischinsky, 30, was a researcher in the political department of the Israeli Embassy, while Milgrim, 26, organized U.S. missions to Israel.
