A Chicago-born man arrested as the lone suspect in the fatal shooting of a pair of Israel embassy workers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington was charged yesterday in federal court with two counts of first-degree murder.
Elias Rodriguez, 30, is accused of opening fire on a group of people on Wednesday night as they left an event for young diplomats hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group that supports Israel and fights antisemitism.
Officials said he was heard chanting “Free Palestine” after he was taken into custody.
In addition to first-degree murder, Rodriguez was charged in a criminal complaint with murder of foreign officials, causing death with a firearm and discharging a firearm in a crime of violence.
The charges were filed in federal court as FBI and police investigators pored over apparent writings and political affiliations of the suspect.
The two victims struck by gunfire and killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, a young couple about to get engaged to be married.
Friends and members of advocacy groups they belonged to said the pair were committed to building bridges between Arabs and Jews in hopes of ending bloodshed in the Middle East.
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