A man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum declared to police after his arrest, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” federal officials revealed Thursday as they announced terrorism charges in the case.
Elias Rodriguez, 31, reportedly shouted “Free Palestine” while being taken into custody, according to court documents that detailed the chilling Wednesday night attack in the capital.
The shootings claimed the lives of an American woman and an Israeli man who had just left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum and were planning to become engaged.
The attack prompted Israeli diplomatic missions to increase security measures and lower their flags to half-staff.
It occurred amid Israel’s ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, escalating tensions throughout the Middle East and internationally, with law enforcement warning such violence could inspire further attacks in the U.S.
Rodriguez faces multiple charges, including murder of foreign officials, and did not enter a plea during his initial court appearance.
Prosecutors indicated more charges may be added as the investigation continues, treating the incident as both a hate crime targeting the Jewish community and an act of 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 interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. “Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation’s capital.”
The victims, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, were a young couple on the verge of engagement, said Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the U.S. Those who knew them remembered the pair as warm, vibrant, and deeply committed to peace and bridging cultural and religious divides.
“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” lamented Ted Deutch, CEO of the American Jewish Committee, the organizer of the event. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”
According to an FBI affidavit, Rodriguez’s actions appeared deliberate and premeditated.
Authorities say he flew from Chicago to Washington on Tuesday, carrying a handgun in his checked luggage, and bought a ticket to the event just hours before it began.
The couple was leaving the museum when Rodriguez, seen pacing suspiciously outside, approached a group of four people and opened fire.
Surveillance footage captured him moving closer to the victims as they collapsed, firing additional shots and even reloading before fleeing on foot, the FBI said.
After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum and declared, “I did it.” By the time police arrested him, he was unarmed.
“I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” he reportedly said. He also expressed admiration for an Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, calling him “courageous” and a “martyr,” according to court documents.
Investigators are still verifying the authenticity of writings attributed to Rodriguez, which reportedly expressed outrage over Israel’s actions in the ongoing conflict.
The FBI is also interviewing his family, friends, and colleagues.
During his federal court appearance, Rodriguez wore a white jail suit and listened silently as the charges, which carry the possibility of the death penalty, were read. At his mother’s home in suburban Chicago, a sign requested privacy.
The shooting occurred after the American Jewish Committee’s annual Young Diplomats reception at the museum.
Witness Yoni Kalin recalled hearing gunshots inside the museum and a distressed man entering who was given water by attendees before police arrived. The suspect pulled out a red kaffiyeh, a Palestinian scarf, and repeatedly shouted, “Free Palestine,” Kalin said.
“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”
Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, was remembered as warm, compassionate, and dedicated to peacebuilding, with a passion for sustainability and fostering people-to-people connections, Deutch said.
A former youth director at Congregation Beth Torah described her as a brilliant young woman with a constant smile and clear purpose.
“She had a passion for Judaism and for Israel, and she wanted to do some good,” said Marcia Rittmaster, who had recommended Milgrim for a Jewish leadership internship after high school.
Lischinsky, who spent part of his youth in Nuremberg, Germany, moved to Israel at 16. He was a Christian deeply devoted to Israel, served in the Israel Defense Forces, and dedicated his life to the Zionist cause, said Ron Prosor, his professor at Reichman University.
“He embodied the Judeo-Christian values and set an example for young people worldwide,” Prosor said.
A friend, David Boskey, recalled that Lischinsky often engaged in deep conversations about faith, identity, and life choices, meeting in a Messianic Jewish congregation in Jerusalem.
“He was looking to see where he was going to go in life, asking questions about calling and about identity and about what he was going to study, where he was going to work,” Boskey said.
On Instagram, Lischinsky’s profile featured a yellow ribbon symbolizing support for hostages taken by Hamas during the October 7, 2023 attack that ignited the war.