The Justice Department has brought federal charges against a man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington as they were leaving an event at a Jewish museum.
Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago was charged Thursday with murder of federal officials and other crimes. Authorities have said Rodriguez walked into the museum after the shooting, was detained by security guards and began chanting, “Free, free Palestine.”
The two people killed, identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American, were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
The stunning attack on Wednesday evening prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel has launched another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in a war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally and as antisemitic acts are on the rise.