Overview

Elias Rodriguez is the primary suspect in the antisemitic murder of two Israeli embassy workers in Washington, D.C., on May 21, 2025.Jeanine Santucci, “What We Know About Elias Rodriguez, Suspect in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Workers,” USA Today, May 23, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-suspect-dc-shooting-jewish-museum/83786590007/. He faces the death penalty on charges of murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and two counts of first-degree murder.U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, “Federal Charges Filed After Deadly Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C.,” U.S. Department of Justice, 22, 2025, https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/federal-charges-filed-after-deadly-shooting-israeli-diplomats-dc; Grace Eliza Goodwin, “US to Seek Death Penalty for Suspect in Killing of Israeli Embassy Staff Members,” BBC News, May 15, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgep2273d5go. His trial date has not been set.Caitrin Assaf, “Capital Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Back in Court,” Live 5 News, June 30, 2026, https://www.live5news.com/2026/06/30/capital-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-back-court/.

Rodriguez attended the University of Illinois Chicago from the fall of 2016 through the spring of 2018 and received a Bachelor of Arts in English.Mary Norkol, Mohammad Samra, and Violet Miller, “FBI Searches Albany Park Home of Elias Rodriguez, Man Accused of Killing 2 Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C.,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 22, 2025, https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-chicago-israeli-embassy-staffers-dc. According to his LinkedIn profile, Rodriguez worked for the Chicago-based American Osteopathic Information Association.Jeanine Santucci, “What We Know About Elias Rodriguez, Suspect in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Workers,” USA Today, May 23, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-suspect-dc-shooting-jewish-museum/83786590007/. He had previously worked for wikiHow, CouponCabin, and as an oral history researcher and production coordinator at a Black history website.Julie Bosman, “What We Know About the Accused Gunman in Washington,” New York Times, May 22, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/dc-shooting-suspect-israel-embassy-aides.html.

In 2017, Rodriguez was photographed outside the home of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel wearing a checked shirt and backpack with a sign that read, “$ for people’s needs, not Amazon!”Julie Bosman, “What We Know About the Accused Gunman in Washington,” New York Times, May 22, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/dc-shooting-suspect-israel-embassy-aides.html. Rodriguez was quoted denouncing  efforts to build a second Amazon headquarters in the city and identified himself as affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation.Julie Bosman, “What We Know About the Accused Gunman in Washington,” New York Times, May 22, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/dc-shooting-suspect-israel-embassy-aides.html. The Party for Socialism and Liberation disavowed any connection with Rodriguez shortly after the D.C. attack.Julie Bosman, “What We Know About the Accused Gunman in Washington,” New York Times, May 22, 2025, https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/us/politics/dc-shooting-suspect-israel-embassy-aides.html.

Rodriguez legally purchased the alleged handgun used, a 9 mm, in Illinois and then flew with the gun in his checked luggage to Washington, D.C.“Who Is Elias Rodriguez? What to Know About the Antisemitism that Fueled the D.C. Shooting,” American Jewish Committee, August 7, 2025, https://www.ajc.org/news/who-is-elias-rodriguez-what-to-know-about-the-antisemitism-that-fueled-the-dc-shooting. On May 21, 2025, Rodriguez allegedly shot and killed two Israeli embassy employees, Sarah Milgrim, 26, and Yaron Lischinsky, 30, after they left an American Jewish Committee (AJC) event for young diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.“Who Is Elias Rodriguez? What to Know About the Antisemitism that Fueled the D.C. Shooting,” American Jewish Committee, August 7, 2025, https://www.ajc.org/news/who-is-elias-rodriguez-what-to-know-about-the-antisemitism-that-fueled-the-dc-shooting. Witnesses noticed Rodriguez pacing outside of the museum before he allegedly opened fire at close range shortly after 9 p.m. He allegedly fired at least 21 rounds. According to the FBI, Rodriguez continued to shoot after the victims had fallen, reloaded his weapons, and killed Milgrim as she tried to crawl away.“Who Is Elias Rodriguez? What to Know About the Antisemitism that Fueled the D.C. Shooting,” American Jewish Committee, August 7, 2025, https://www.ajc.org/news/who-is-elias-rodriguez-what-to-know-about-the-antisemitism-that-fueled-the-dc-shooting. Rodriguez then entered the museum, pretending to be a civilian fleeing the shooting. According to witnesses, he revealed a red keffiyeh and shouted, “Free Free Palestine” as he was taken into custody.“Who Is Elias Rodriguez? What to Know About the Antisemitism that Fueled the D.C. Shooting,” American Jewish Committee, August 7, 2025, https://www.ajc.org/news/who-is-elias-rodriguez-what-to-know-about-the-antisemitism-that-fueled-the-dc-shooting.

After his arrest, Rodriguez reportedly expressed admiration to authorities for Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. airman who self-immolated on February 25, 2024, outside of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., in protest of the war in Gaza. Rodriguez called the act courageous.Tom Geoghegan, Kayla Epstein, and Mike Wendling, “Aaron Bushnell: US Airman Dies After Setting Himself on Fire Outside Israeli Embassy in Washington,” BBC News, February 26, 2024, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68405119; Jeanine Santucci, “What We Know About Elias Rodriguez, Suspect in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Workers,” USA Today, May 23, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-suspect-dc-shooting-jewish-museum/83786590007/.

On May 22, 2025, the U.S. Department of Justice charged Rodriguez in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code.U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Columbia, “Federal Charges Filed After Deadly Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C.,” U.S. Department of Justice, May 22, 2025, https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/federal-charges-filed-after-deadly-shooting-israeli-diplomats-dc.

A writing signed with Rodriguez’s name was posted to an anonymous X account before the shooting. The writing was titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” and condemned Israel’s killing of tens of thousands of Palestinians.Jeanine Santucci, “What We Know About Elias Rodriguez, Suspect in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Workers,” USA Today, May 23, 2025, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-suspect-dc-shooting-jewish-museum/83786590007/.

The FBI searched Rodriguez’s home, which he allegedly shared with a woman of unknown relation to him, in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago on May 22, 2025. In the window of the apartment there was a picture of Wadea Al-Fayoume, a 6-year-old Palestinian American who was stabbed to death in a Chicago suburb in 2023. John McCormick, Jack Gillum, and Joe Barrett, “Who Is Elias Rodriguez? A Portrait of Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Emerges,” Wall Street Journal, May 22, 2025, https://www.wsj.com/us-news/who-elias-rodriguez-dc-shooting-suspect-israeli-embassy-adcf9b65. Rodriguez’s neighbor John Wayne Fry told the FBI that the sign gave him “the impression that they were very, very sensitive people, especially about the issue of Palestine.”Mary Norkol, Mohammad Samra, and Violet Miller, “FBI Searches Albany Park Home of Elias Rodriguez, Man Accused of Killing 2 Israeli Embassy Staffers in D.C.,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 22, 2025, https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2025/05/22/elias-rodriguez-chicago-israeli-embassy-staffers-dc.

On February 4, 2026, federal prosecutors added two terrorism charges to the indictment against Rodriguez. The new indictment claimed that Rodriguez murdered Lischinsky and Milgrim with the intent to influence government policy through “intimidation” and “coerce a significant portion of the civilian population.”Arno Rosenfeld, “Prosecutors Charge Capital Jewish Museum Shooter with Terrorism,” Forward, February 5, 2026, https://forward.com/fast-forward/803365/elias-rodriguez-capital-jewish-museum-terrorism/. On March 3, 2026, Rodriguez pleaded not guilty at the U.S. Federal Court for the District of Columbia.Molly Martinez, “Hearing for Man Accused of Shooting Israeli Embassy Staffers,” Local News Live, March 3, 2026, https://www.localnewslive.com/2026/03/04/hearing-man-accused-shooting-israeli-embassy-staffers/. On May 15, 2026, the U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, filed a notice of intent to seek capital punishment for three out of the 13 total charges against Rodriguez: murder of a foreign official discharges of a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm.Grace Eliza Goodwin, “US to Seek Death Penalty for Suspect in Killing of Israeli Embassy Staff Members,” BBC News, May 15, 2026, https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgep2273d5go.

Rodriguez appeared in court on June 30, 2026. His attorneys argued to move him from solitary confinement into the general population in prison. The judge referred Rodriguez’s confinement conditions to the Department of Corrections.Caitrin Assaf, “Capital Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Back in Court,” Live 5 News, June 30, 2026, https://www.live5news.com/2026/06/30/capital-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-back-court/. Rodriguez is scheduled to appear in court at the end of September 2026 for another status conference.Caitrin Assaf, “Capital Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Back in Court,” Live 5 News, June 30, 2026, https://www.live5news.com/2026/06/30/capital-jewish-museum-shooting-suspect-back-court/.