A Chicago man has been charged with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside a Jewish museum in Washington, an attack federal authorities are investigating as a targeted act of antisemitic violence.
Elias Rodriguez, 31, faces federal charges including murder of federal officials, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime. The Justice Department announced the charges Thursday, a day after the shooting.
Authorities say Rodriguez opened fire Wednesday evening as the two victims, Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American from Overland Park, Kansas, left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum. The two were a young couple planning to get engaged, according to Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter.
Following the shooting, Rodriguez walked into the museum, was detained by security, and began chanting “Free, free Palestine,” according to Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith.
The attack, which took place amid rising global tensions over the war in Gaza and a surge in antisemitic incidents, prompted Israeli missions worldwide to increase security and lower flags to half-staff.
“This act of terror is a tragic reminder of the deadly consequences of antisemitism and incitement,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said. President Donald Trump also condemned the violence, calling for an end to “hatred and radicalism.”
FBI Director Kash Patel described the shooting as an “act of terror,” while FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said authorities are reviewing writings allegedly authored by Rodriguez expressing anger over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
The victims had attended the American Jewish Committee’s Young Diplomats reception before being shot. Lischinsky worked in the embassy’s political department and had planned to propose to Milgrim during an upcoming trip to Jerusalem.
Witnesses inside the museum described confusion in the moments following the shooting. “We thought he needed help,” said Yoni Kalin, who was among those who initially aided Rodriguez, not realizing he was the gunman.
The Capital Jewish Museum, which recently received federal funding to bolster security, expressed sorrow in a statement: “We are deeply saddened and horrified by the senseless violence.”
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Israeli diplomats have historically been targeted amid the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Wednesday’s shooting occurred as Israel intensified its military campaign in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people and saw hundreds taken hostage.
No attorney was immediately listed for Rodriguez. Federal authorities executed a search at his listed residence in Chicago Thursday as the investigation continues.