Suspect in fatal shooting of Israeli embassy aides charged with murder: Live updates

The suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in a swift reaction to an apparent antisemitic attack outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., about a mile from the White House.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. Attorney for D.C., said Elias Rodriguez, 31, is also facing several firearms charges and counts of killing a foreign official. Pirro said the attack May 21 is being investigated as a hate and terrorism crime.

"This charging today is the initial charge,'' Pirro said in an afternoon news conference. "Remember we're less than 24 hours from the crime itself. ... This is the start.''

She also said authorities may pursue the death penalty if Rodriguez is convicted. Rodriguez chanted, "Free Palestine, free Palestine" after being taken into custody by event security after the shooting.

Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his girlfriend Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were shot at about 9 p.m. as they exited the museum after a Young Diplomats reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee. The couple was about to get engaged.

Developments:

∎ Rodriguez was once affiliated with a far-left group in Chicago, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, according to a post from the group on X. 

∎ Israeli embassies around the world immediately stepped up security, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said he discussed the shooting Thursday with Trump.

Jewish organization head decries 'shocking act of violence'

The head of the Jewish organization that hosted the event in which the two embassy aides were killed described the tragedy as a "shocking act of violence" and said members of the Jewish community were "holding each other tighter tonight."

American Jewish Committee CEO Ted Deutch, in a statement issued early Thursday, thanked President Donald Trump, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and law enforcement for their swift action and support.

"It strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state," Deutch said. "This senseless hate and violence must stop."

Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said investigators believe Rodriguez was the lone gunman in the assault. Rodriguez lives in Chicago, and FBI agents were seen at his apartment Thursday.

People inside were unaware the suspect was among them

Katie Kalisher, a 29-year-old jewelry designer, said she was among a group talking with a man who came into the museum looking scared after gunshots were heard outside. Then he suddenly pulled out a keffiyeh, which has become a symbol of Palestinian support.

"He says, 'I did it. I did it for Gaza, free, free Palestine.' And he's chanting this,'' Kalisher said. "And then suddenly the police come in and they arrest him."

Yoni Kalin, whose wife was an organizer of the event, told NewsNation Live he was in the museum when he heard 10 to 15 gunshots outside. Kalin said several people came into the building, including Rodriguez, but no one realized he was the suspect.

"This man clearly looked distraught. He was in a state of shock," Kalin said, adding that people sat Rodriguez down, asked him if he had been shot and gave him some water.

"Little did we know, he was the shooter," Kalin said. "It's completely unacceptable that somebody could be radicalized to this extent, to come into a Jewish museum, pretend that he's one of us, and then admit to murdering somebody and be gleeful about it. I mean, it's just disgusting.”

Museum preparing to reopen with more security

Dr. Beatrice Gurwitz, executive director of the museum, said her staff was heartbroken by the shootings.

“In an act of horrific antisemitic violence, a gunman attacked our beloved community," Gurwitz said in a statement. "This tragedy is devastating. Such acts of terror attempt to instill fear, silence voices, and erase history − but we refuse to let them succeed."

Gurwitz said the museum shares Jewish stories in an effort to build bridges and prompt dialogue. She said she and her staff were working to re-open the museum in the coming days "with all necessary security in place so the museum can return to telling the story of Jewish Washington for thousands of visitors from around the world.”

Milgrim's wit, smarts, maturity were her 'powerful armor'

Milgrim dedicated her efforts to fighting antisemitism, so it was an especially cruel twist that she lost her life at 26 to an act of hatred against Jews, a friend said.

Her friend Ayelet Razin said Milgrim's sudden and tragic death has left her not only in grief but also increasingly alarmed and angry about antisemitism. Speaking to USA TODAY via Zoom from Israel, Razin called Milgrim "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.

Shooting has 'full attention' of FBI

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said Rodriguez was interviewed by FBI agents and local police. "Last night’s act of terror has the full attention of your FBI. Targeted acts of antisemitic violence are typically carried out by spineless, gutless cowards," Bongino said. "And the penalties will be harsh as we tighten up this investigation and run down any additional leads."

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, who is Jewish, said the "scourge of antisemitism reared its ugly head yet again," this time just a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol.

"Such a blatant and targeted act of antisemitism, right here in the nation’s capital, should outrage everybody," Schumer said in a statement.

Milgrim's high school was once vandalized with swastikas

Milgrim grew up in Johnson County, Kansas, and attended Shawnee Mission East High School. KSHB 41 News spoke with her in a 2017 story when the school was vandalized with graffiti, swastikas and vulgar words splashed on a building.

“It’s so ignorant that you would bring up a symbol like that, that would bring so much pain to people,” said Milgrim, then a senior. “I worry about going to my synagogue and now I have to worry about my safety at my school. And that shouldn’t be a thing.”

Orthodox Union blames effort to 'demonize the Jewish state'

Rabbi Moshe Hauer is the executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, the nation's largest umbrella group of Orthodox Jews. Hauer, in an email to USA TODAY, said Milgrim was an alum of the Jewish Student Union at her Kansas high school. The Jewish Student Union is part of Orthodox Union.

"The brazen demands for an end to the Jewish State and the globalization of the intifada have always been a call to violence. The call was answered," Hauer said in a statement. "These antisemitic murders committed in our nation’s capital are a direct result of the organized and effective effort to demonize the Jewish state and to build hatred and encourage violence towards anyone associated with Israel."

Victims advocated for peace between Israelis, Palestinians

The victims, Lischinsky and Milgrim, were locally employed staff, the Israeli foreign ministry said. Both were trying to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, according to advocacy groups with which they were involved.

Tech2Peace, an advocacy promoting dialogue between young Palestinians and Israelis, said Milgrim was an active volunteer who participated in seminars and "supported our team with grace and commitment."

"Her energy, thoughtfulness, and unwavering belief in dialogue, peace, and equality inspired everyone who had the privilege to work alongside her," the group said in a social media post.

Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., said Lischinsky had bought an engagement ring and had planned on proposing to Milgrim in Jerusalem next week. The embassy posted a photo of Lischinsky and Milgrim on social media.

"Yaron and Sarah were our friends and colleagues. They were in the prime of their lives," the post says. "The entire embassy staff is heartbroken and devastated by their murder. No words can express the depth of our grief and horror at this devastating loss. Our hearts are with their families, and the embassy will be by their side during this terrible time."

City was providing museum with grant for security

The shooting came less than a week after Bowser announced the museum was one of 11 local nonprofits awarded funding to enhance security from a $500,000 grant program. The Safe and Secure DC Grant funds targeted nonprofit organizations with "heightened safety concerns."

Gurwitz, the museum's executive director, told local News4 last week that the museum faced serious security concerns.

“Jewish institutions all around town, all around the country, are concerned about security due tosome very scary incidents that some institutions have faced and because of a climate of antisemitism,” Gurwitz said. “So we invest a lot of money in security to make sure that we can keep our doors open to the broad public, that this is a welcoming space, but that people are also safe in this space.”

Who is Elias Rodriguez?

Smith said Rodriguez opened fire on four people outside the museum before entering and being detained by security at the event. After he was handcuffed, Rodriguez "implied that he committed the offense," Smith said. Rodriguez also told authorities where he discarded the weapon, which was later recovered, she said.

A LinkedIn profile that appears to belong to Rodriguez shows he lives in Chicago and works for the Chicago-based American Osteopathic Information Association as a profiles administration specialist.

The LinkedIn profile says Rodriguez previously worked as a production and logistics coordinator and an oral history researcher at the History Makers, a nonprofit in Illinois that says it documents and preserves histories of Black Americans. Read more here.

− Jeanine Santucci

Capital Jewish Museum officials 'saddened and horrified'

The Capital Jewish Museum describes itself as a history museum and "public-facing educational institution" committed to building an inclusive, multi-racial democracy, teaching "difficult" histories, and fostering an anti-racist society.

The museum says on its website that it "explores the Jewish experience in the national capital region and inspires visitors to connect, reflect, and act."

Museum officials issued a statement after the shooing saying they were "deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence outside the Museum this evening. Our condolences and heartfelt sympathies go to the victims and their families."

Holocaust Museum cites 'worldwide eruption of antisemitism'

The U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum, less than three miles from the Capital Jewish Museum, issued a statement hours after the shooting.

"The murder of Israeli Embassy staff outside the Capital Jewish Museum is a horrific act of antisemitic terrorism amid a worldwide eruption of antisemitism," the statement said. "Everyone should be outraged. Our thoughts are with the victims’ families and colleagues."

Trump calls for end to antisemitism

The shooting comes as Israel faces mounting international pressure over its blockade on humanitarian deliveries to Gaza. The blockade was imposed in March, shortly before the end of a two-month-old ceasefire, and has prompted aid agencies to warn of impending famine.

Trump, who has pressed for a deal that would allow aid to flow into the enclave, has remained a firm supporter of Israel.

"These horrible D.C. killings, based obviously on antisemitism, must end, NOW!" Trump said in a social media post after the shootings. "Hatred and Radicalism have no place in the USA. Condolences to the families of the victims. So sad that such things as this can happen! God Bless You ALL!"