Man accused of killing 2 Israeli Embassy staffers in DC charged with murder of foreign officials

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington as they left an event at a Jewish museum told police after his arrest, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," federal authorities said Thursday in announcing criminal charges.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away after his arrest and told police that he was the one who “did it,” according to charging documents that provided chilling new details of a Wednesday night attack that killed an American woman and Israeli man who were set to become engaged.

Authorities described the slayings as a targeted act of terror.

Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said Thursday, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and terrorism.

“Violence against anyone, based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero,” said Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital.”

Court documents made public Thursday say the shooting was captured on surveillance video outside the museum, which authorities say showed Rodriguez firing at the victims several more times after they fell to the ground.

After he was arrested, Rodriguez told detectives that he admired the man who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in February 2024 and described the man as “courageous” and a “martyr,” court documents say.

Rodriguez also told detectives that he purchased tickets to the event at the museum about three hours before it started, according to the court documents.

The two people killed, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. He said Lischinsky had purchased a ring this week with the intent to propose next week in Jerusalem.

The stunning attack on Wednesday evening prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise.

___

An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that the suspect in the shooting had been charged with shoplifting in Chicago.

___

Associated Press writers Maya Sweedler, Michael Biesecker, Hallie Golden, Jon Gambrell, Stefanie Dazio and Natalie Melzer contributed to this report.