The 31-year-old alleged gunman has reportedly claimed that he killed the two employees “for Palestine”
A man charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington, DC, on Wednesday could face the death penalty, US authorities have said.
Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30, were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum during a reception hosted by the American Jewish Committee on Wednesday. Israeli officials have strongly denounced the attack as a “depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
Interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, announced on Thursday that the suspect in the killings of Milgrim and Lischinsky faces charges including the murder of a foreign official.
According to court documents, Lischinsky was an Israeli national and an official guest of the US government.
Pirro said “it’s far too early to say” whether prosecutors will seek the death penalty. “We’re going to continue,” she said, “to investigate this as an act of terrorism and as a hate crime. And as we do so, we will bring additional charges whenever those charges are warranted and provable. And I suspect as we go forward, before we get to the grand jury itself, that there will be more charges added.”
Pirro also stated that the case is “death penalty-eligible” and confirmed that the suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, has been notified he could face capital punishment.
The victims, set to become engaged, were among more than 100 attendees at a “Young Diplomats Reception.” The young couple, having just left the reception, were gunned down on a quiet street in downtown Washington.
Charging documents reveal graphic details of the attack, including surveillance footage showing Milgrim attempting to crawl away after being shot. The suspect pursued her and opened fire again. As he paused to reload, Milgrim sat up, but he then reloaded and shot her once more.
An FBI affidavit released Thursday describes the attack as planned, alleging that Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington on Tuesday with a handgun in his checked luggage and bought a ticket for the event just three hours before it began.
Following the shooting, the suspect reportedly entered the museum and admitted responsibility, saying: “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.” Federal authorities also said that he shouted “Free Palestine” as he was taken into custody.
Israel faces growing international criticism over its Gaza offensive and a prolonged aid blockade that has pushed the enclave to the brink of famine.
On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces launched a major ground operation – ‘Gideon’s Chariots’ – advancing in both northern and southern Gaza.
Israel says it has stepped up its offensive to pressure Hamas to release the remaining hostages taken during the militant group’s October 2023 attack, in which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 abducted. An estimated 58 hostages remain in Gaza.
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