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Justice Department Seeks Death Penalty for Man Charged in Killing of Two Israeli Embassy Staffers
The Justice Department announced it will seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, charged with federal hate crimes and murder in the May 2025 shooting deaths of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside a Washington Jewish museum. Prosecutors described the attack as calculated, motivated by antisemitism, with Rodriguez shouting pro-Palestine statements at the scene.
May 15, 1:38 PM·1m read3 sources
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The Justice Department will seek the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, who faces federal hate crime and murder charges in the killings of two Israeli Embassy staff members last year. Rodriguez is accused of fatally shooting Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington on May 21, 2025.
Prosecutors said in a court filing on Friday that the attack was calculated and planned, with Rodriguez flying from Chicago to the Washington region with a handgun in his checked luggage.
Witnesses described him pacing outside the museum before approaching a group of four people and opening fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing on Lischinsky and Milgrim as they fell, leaning over them to fire additional shots before appearing to reload and jogging away.
After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum and told those inside, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,” according to court documents.
, while Milgrim, 26, was a U.S. citizen.
The couple was reportedly about to become engaged. ” They added that he targeted individuals he perceived to have attended an event for young Jewish professionals, organized by the American Jewish Committee, to amplify the effect of his crimes. The indictment includes a notice of special findings that permits prosecutors to pursue capital punishment.
Defense attorneys met with Justice Department officials several weeks before the announcement to present evidence they believe weighs against seeking the death penalty. Rodriguez’s attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
