NewsHail
23 May 2025
A man has been charged with killing two people outside a Jewish museum in Washington, DC. He is also facing charges for killing foreign officials and using a gun in a crime.
The attack happened on Wednesday night and is being looked at as a hate crime. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said more charges may come. She also said the case could lead to the death penalty, but it's too early to decide.
Steve Jenson from the FBI called the shooting “an act of terror and hate against the Jewish community.”
The two people killed were Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. They were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum when they were shot around 9:08 p.m.
The suspect is Elias Rodriguez, 30, from Chicago. He bought a ticket to the event three hours before it started. He was arrested right after the shooting.
Police said he shot at four people, killing two. Witnesses saw him walking around outside before he opened fire.
An affidavit says he fired once, reloaded, and then shot again from close range. One victim tried to crawl away, but Rodriguez followed and shot again.
Police found 21 bullet casings at the scene. They also found an empty gun and magazine.
At first, people thought Rodriguez was a victim too. They tried to comfort him inside the museum. One witness, Yoni Kalin, said, “We didn’t know he was the one who had killed people.”
Rodriguez yelled “free Palestine” before police arrested him.
He flew from Chicago to DC the day before the shooting. He told police he was there for a work event.
Rodriguez worked at the American Osteopathic Information Association in Chicago. He started there in 2024 as an office worker.
He appeared in court on Thursday and was told to stay in jail. His next hearing is on June 18.
Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. said Lischinsky planned to propose to Milgrim soon. He said, “They were a beautiful couple.”
Milgrim’s hometown, Kansas City, held a vigil for her. She had spoken before about her fear of antisemitism. In 2017, her school was vandalized with a swastika. She said at the time, “I worry about going to synagogue and now also at school.”
Police said Rodriguez had no criminal record. He admitted to the attack and acted alone.
He used a 9mm gun that he bought legally in Illinois in 2020. He brought it to DC in his suitcase. Illinois has tough gun laws.
Rodriguez’s social media shows support for the pro-Palestinian movement. Police are checking if he wrote posts online calling Israel’s actions in Gaza a genocide. Some of the posts also talked about using violence for political reasons.
In his interview with police, Rodriguez talked about a man who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in 2024. He called that man a “martyr.”
Police searched a home in Chicago linked to Rodriguez. They are also checking his phones and computer.
A neighbor in Chicago said Rodriguez had a picture outside his apartment of a Palestinian-American boy who was killed in 2023. The man who killed that boy was later convicted of a hate crime.
It is not clear if Rodriguez knew the boy’s family.
Jojo Kalin helped run the DC event. She said the event was about helping people in Gaza and building peace. She said it was sad and shocking that an attack happened there.
Leaders around the world condemned the attack. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called it an "antisemitic attack." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it a "heinous murder" and said Israel would increase security.
U.S. President Donald Trump also spoke out. He said, “Hatred and radicalism have no place in the USA.” He later called Netanyahu to share his sorrow.
