The suspect accused of shooting two Israeli embassy employees outside a Jewish museum in Washington was charged with murder on Thursday, escalating international tensions over anti-Semitism.
According to a court document, Elias Rodriguez, 31, shouted “Free Palestine” as he was led away by police following the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum late Wednesday night.
“I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” he informed the officers.
The Chicago man appeared in court for the first time on Thursday, charged with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials. If convicted, he could face the death sentence.
The shooting was being investigated “as an act of terrorism and a hate crime,” according to Jeanine Pirro, the interim US attorney for the District of Columbia.
“I suspect that as we go forward… there will be more charges added,” she said, noting that a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 18.
The shooting sparked international outrage and finger-pointing, with Israel’s foreign minister Gideon Saar blaming European criticism of his country’s intensified Gaza offensive, claiming “a direct line connecting anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli incitement to this murder.”
“This incitement is also done by leaders and officials of many countries and international organizations, especially from Europe,” according to him.
French foreign ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine described the accusation as “completely outrageous and completely unjustified.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to “the terrible price of anti-Semitism” and condemned “wild incitement against the State of Israel.”
Soon after the shooting, President Donald Trump, who spoke with Netanyahu on Thursday, declared on social media that the attack was clearly anti-Semitic.
The killings occurred outside the Capital Jewish Museum, which is one mile (1.6 kilometers) from the White House, following a social event hosted by the American Jewish Committee for young Jewish professionals and the Washington diplomatic community.
Israel identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a US embassy employee, and stated that they were a couple planning to marry.
– ‘Mass murderers’ –
The attack occurred just days after the museum was awarded a grant to improve security, as anti-Semitism rises worldwide in the aftermath of Israel’s devastating invasion of Gaza, precipitated by the October 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Tensions have risen in the United States and many other countries over Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza, with pro-Palestinian activists condemning the military offensive’s intolerable human cost.
Britain and France, which have increased their criticism of Israel’s actions, condemned the shooting, as did Germany and the United Arab Emirates.
On Thursday, Netanyahu accused France, Britain, and Canada of encouraging militants, claiming that “they want Israel to stand down and accept that Hamas’ army of mass murderers will survive, rebuild, and repeat the October 7 massacre.”
– ‘Anti-Semitism, I feel it every day’ –
According to police, Rodriguez was seen pacing outside the museum before the shooting around 9:00 p.m. (0100 GMT Thursday).
According to court documents, Rodriguez approached his victims while they were facing away from him and fired 21 rounds. He shot the couple several times after they were already on the ground, and he fired at Milgram as she attempted to crawl away.
Witnesses said security mistook the gunman for a shooting victim and let him into the museum, where he was initially consoled by bystanders.
“They sat him down.” ‘Are you okay? Were you shot? What is happened? And he is like, ‘Somebody call the cops’,” Yoni Kalin, who was in the museum, told US media.
According to their LinkedIn profiles, Lischinsky worked as a researcher at the Israeli embassy, and Milgrim in its public diplomacy department.
On Thursday, mourners gathered at the museum in Washington to sing and pray.
“Obviously, the war is awful,” mourner Gil Livni told AFP. “(But) anti-Semitism, I feel it every day… people I thought were my friends revealing that they are anti-Semitic.” “It has become the norm.”
The president and CEO of New Jewish Narrative, Hadar Susskind, described the moment as “unbelievably painful… this cannot be the answer.”