The Suspect in shooting of Israeli embassy staff charged with premeditated murder

The U.S. Justice Department on Thursday charged the sole suspect in a brazen attack that killed two young Israeli embassy employees outside the Jewish Museum in downtown Washington, D.C., with murdering foreign officials and other crimes.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, has been charged with the Wednesday night killings that rocked the US capital and were condemned by world leaders as "horrific" and "anti-Semitic." According to the file, the suspect told police after his arrest, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza."

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney in Washington, described the list of charges against the defendant—which also includes two counts of first-degree murder, causing death with a firearm, and discharge of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence—as a "preliminary" list of offenses. She added that the murder is also being investigated as a "hate crime and a crime of terrorism." She said, "We will add additional charges as evidence warrants."

Rodriguez made his initial court appearance Thursday afternoon, hours after federal agents in tactical gear arrived at his Chicago apartment. According to a post on the FBI's Washington office's X website, the Chicago FBI agents were "conducting court-authorized law enforcement activity" that was said to be "related to yesterday's tragic shooting in Washington, D.C."

FBI Director Kash Patel described the killing as an "act of terrorism" and "targeted anti-Semitic violence." U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said, "We are doing everything we can to protect our entire community, especially our Jewish community, at this time."

At Rodriguez's arraignment in federal court on Thursday, Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh told the defendant he faced the potential death penalty if convicted of the crimes he was charged with. Pirro said it was "too early" to say whether prosecutors would seek the death penalty, but added that it was "a death penalty-eligible case."

At the White House, White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said Donald Trump was "saddened and outraged" by the deadly act, vowing that the US Department of Justice would "prosecute the perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law." She said Trump spoke with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday.

The killings occurred shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday outside the Capital Jewish Museum, where, according to officials, a gunman approached a group leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee and opened fire at close range.

The two victims, identified as Yaron Leshinsky, who grew up in Germany and Israel, and Sarah Milgrim, a US citizen from Kansas, were identified as Yaron Leshinsky, who worked as a research assistant in the political section of the Israeli embassy in Washington. According to Israeli Ambassador to Germany Ron Prosor, who wrote on the X website, Leshinsky, 30, who worked as a research assistant in the political section of the Israeli embassy in Washington, was born in Nuremberg. “He was a Christian, a lover of Israel, served in the IDF, and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause,” he said.

Metropolitan Police Chief Constable Pamela Smith stated that the suspect was seen walking outside the museum before the shooting. She added that after the shooting, he entered the museum, was detained by security personnel, and began chanting "Free Palestine."

Officials confirmed that the suspect was not on any security watch lists, and that there were no heightened security threats prior to the shooting. Officials said the firearm believed to have been used in the killings has been recovered. The New York Times reported that the weapon was legally purchased in Illinois and legally transported to Washington, D.C.

When asked at a press conference on Thursday whether the suspect was targeting the event or individuals, Steve Jensen, assistant director in charge of the FBI's Washington office, replied, "We can't say for sure at this time." He said law enforcement officials are still investigating the circumstances of the suspect's travel to Washington, D.C., which they believe was work-related, as well as how the alleged gunman learned of the location of the event at the museum on Wednesday evening, which was private and not publicized.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino stated that authorities interviewed the suspect within hours of his arrest. He wrote in a post on the X website that officials were aware of "certain writings" possibly written by the suspect that had circulated online, adding, "We hope to have updates on their authenticity very soon."

The attack comes as Israel expands its ground offensive on Gaza and faces increasing international pressure, including from the United States, to end its nearly three-month blockade of food, medicine, and other supplies, which humanitarian organizations say has pushed the territory to the brink of famine.