WASHINGTON – The man accused of shooting and killing two Israeli Embassy staffers is facing both local and federal murder charges, interim U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced on Thursday.
Multiple federal, local charges
What we know:
The suspect is 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez. He was taken into custody Wednesday night and Pirro said his first court appearance wrapped up Thursday afternoon. Rodriguez will remain in custody and a preliminary hearing is now set for 1 p.m. on June 18.
Rodriguez has been charged in D.C. District Court with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He is also charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code. He could face the death penalty, Pirro said.
READ MORE: What we know about Elias Rodriguez, suspect charged with murder in Capital Jewish Museum shooting
“This is a horrific crime and these crimes are not going to be tolerated by me, or this office,” Pirro said. “Violence of any kind is unacceptable. Senseless acts that take innocent lives are intolerable. We will hold accountable anyone who inflicts harm on our families, our neighbors, the citizens of our nation, or the visitors to our great capital city. We are united in that purpose, and we hold strong against those whose reckless actions claim as victim any part of our community.”
Young couple gunned down
The backstory:
Just after 9 p.m., D.C. police responded to the area of 3rd and F Streets, NW, where a man and a woman had been shot multiple times outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
Before the shooting, witnesses reported seeing Rodriguez pacing outside the museum. It’s not known how long he remained outside before firing the fatal shots.
According to an affidavit, Rodriguez was allegedly seen on surveillance footage walking past the victims and two other witnesses before turning around and opening fire on the group. The court documents say once the victims fell to the ground, Rodriguez walked up to them, leaned over, and fired several more times.
READ MORE: Two Israeli Embassy staffers fatally shot outside Capital Jewish Museum
The affidavit says the woman tried to crawl away but Rodriguez followed behind her and fired again. As Rodriguez reloaded, the man who had been shot sat up. Rodriguez noticed and once again, fired several shots. He then ran back over to the museum.
Rodriguez allegedly walked into the museum and asked to speak with an officer. According to court documents, he told a security officer “I did it.” He was detained by officers and escorted out as he shouted “free, free Palestine.”
The affidavit states that following his arrest, Rodriguez spontaneously told MPD officers, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.” He was reportedly holding a red scarf identified by one witness as a “Kaffiyeh.”
Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene.
Dig deeper:
The two victims were later identified as 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim — colleagues at the Israeli Embassy, and a couple, just days away from a marriage proposal.
The couple was just leaving the event at the museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee, which brought together Jewish professionals and members of the diplomatic community.
READ MORE: 2 Israeli Embassy staff members killed in shooting outside DC’s Capital Jewish Museum identified
Yoni Kalim, who was at the American Jewish Committee event on Wednesday night and spent time with the couple, told FOX 5 that Lischinsky was an embassy research assistant and Milgrim coordinated visits and missions to Israel.
“I interacted with them throughout the event, and to find out that they were just gunned down — shot 10, 15 times — is horrific,” Kalim said.
Additional charges possible
What’s next:
The case is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for D.C. with assistance from the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
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.
READ MORE: FBI Director Patel calls killings of Israeli Embassy staffers an ‘act of terror’
“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.”
D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith says out of an abundance of caution, MPD is increasing its presence at religious institutions across the District.
READ MORE ON THE CAPITAL JEWISH MUSEUM SHOOTING
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