Chicago man indicted on terrorism-related and hate-crime charges in killings of Israeli Embassy staffers in D.C.

Indictment adds hate-crime and broader federal counts after May 2025 attack near Capital Jewish Museum

Federal prosecutors in Washington have expanded the case against Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy employees outside the Capital Jewish Museum, adding hate-crime and additional murder-related charges that prosecutors say could allow the Justice Department to consider seeking the federal death penalty.

A federal grand jury returned a multi-count indictment unsealed in early August 2025. The charging document alleges the May 21, 2025 shooting targeted Israeli Embassy staffers as they left a reception at the museum, where the American Jewish Committee was hosting a “Young Diplomats Reception.” Two other embassy employees who were with the victims were not killed.

What investigators allege happened on May 21, 2025

The indictment and earlier charging papers describe a shooting shortly after 9 p.m. outside the museum, near the intersection of Third and F streets NW. The two people who died were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, both members of the Israeli Embassy’s staff.

Authorities allege Rodriguez approached a group leaving the event and fired multiple times with a 9mm handgun. Court filings also describe the suspect reloading and continuing to fire. After the shooting, investigators say, Rodriguez entered the museum and was detained by event security before being taken into custody by police.

Prosecutors have said Rodriguez made statements during and after his arrest indicating a political motive tied to the Israel-Hamas war.

Charges filed and how the case has progressed

Rodriguez was initially charged on May 22, 2025, with federal offenses including murder of foreign officials and firearm-related counts, alongside two first-degree murder charges under the District of Columbia criminal code.

The later indictment added hate-crime allegations and other counts, including assault with intent to kill, and included special findings that prosecutors say may permit the Justice Department to evaluate whether to pursue capital punishment under federal law. The District of Columbia does not have the death penalty, but federal prosecutors can seek it in certain cases if authorized by the attorney general.

Key allegations cited in court filings

• Rodriguez traveled from Chicago to Washington, D.C., the day before the shooting, with a handgun packed in his luggage.
• He purchased a ticket to the museum event on May 21.
• He made statements, prosecutors allege, supporting violence against Israelis and expressing justification for armed action.

What comes next

Rodriguez has remained in federal custody as pretrial proceedings continue in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The case is being handled as both a homicide prosecution and, based on the indictment, a matter involving hate-crime and terrorism-related investigative theories, with additional filings expected as litigation over evidence and potential penalty decisions proceeds.