Elias Rodriguez has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder following the shooting deaths of Israeli embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C.
During his initial court appearance, Magistrate Judge Matthew Sharbaugh informed Rodriguez that he faces the possibility of life in prison or the death penalty.
Rodriguez, 31 years old and dressed in a white prison jumpsuit, calmly answered questions about his background and confirmed that he was not under the influence of drugs, alcohol, or medication at the time of the incident.
He confirmed his request for a court-appointed attorney and opted to waive his detention hearing, resulting in his continued custody without bond until a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 18.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler described the case as complicated, involving substantial evidence and numerous witnesses, a concern that the judge acknowledged.
The harrowing events unfolded as security footage reportedly captured Rodriguez approaching Milgrim and Lischinsky before pulling out a firearm.
Witnesses indicated that Milgrim attempted to crawl away as Rodriguez shot her multiple times, and he was seen reloading his weapon before firing again.
After the shooting, Rodriguez reportedly jogged away from the scene before interacting with responding officers, declaring he “did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”
Flight records indicate that Rodriguez had traveled from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport with a firearm declared in his checked baggage.
In a press conference, Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney for Washington D.C., characterized the killings as a hate crime and an act of terrorism, emphasizing a zero-tolerance stance against antisemitism in the nation’s capital.
Describing the victims, Pirro referred to them as a young couple, engaged and at the beginning of their life journey together, poignantly highlighting the tragic circumstances.
Sarah Milgrim’s father, Robert Milgrim, expressed profound grief over the loss of his daughter, calling her
image source from：https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-israeli-embassy-officials-gunned-jewish-museum-rcna208435
