
The suspect in thefatal shooting of two Israeli embassy workers outside a Jewish museumin the nation's capital faces charges of murder from both the federal government and D.C. accusing him of firing at close range even as one tried to get away. The May 21 shooting ofYaron Lischinsky, 30, and his girlfriend Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, outside the Capital Jewish Museum has drawn universal condemnation from politicians and civil rights leaders, with Attorney GeneralPam Bondicalling it an antisemitic act of violence. Elias Rodriguez, 30, of Chicago, wasarrested after the shooting and on May 22 chargedin D.C. with two counts of first-degree murder, and with federal counts of murdering foreign officials and firearm offenses. Upon arrest, Rodriguez allegedly said he "did it for Palestine." "We are going to continue to investigate this as a hate crime and as a crime of terrorism," U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro told reporters. Here's what we know about the shooting: Lischinsky and Milgrim were shot while they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee at the museum on May 21 at about 9 p.m. According to an affidavit in the criminal complaint against Rodriguez, he was seen on surveillance video outside the museum walking across the street toward the museum. The victims were standing outside, preparing to enter a crosswalk. Rodriguez walked passed the victims and two other people, then turned to face the victims' backs and fired several times at them, the affidavit said. The victims fell to the ground, and Rodriguez then went closer to them. Milgrim was seen on the footage trying to crawl away, and he shot her several more times, the affidavit said. Rodriguez then jogged away. A witness told investigators they saw Rodriguez make a throwing motion after the shooting, and a firearm was located in that area. After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum, wherepeople inside spoke with him, unaware he was a suspect. He was detained by event security inside, officials previously said. Lischinsky and Milgrim were both employees at the Israeli embassy, and were days away from getting engaged, according to Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen and an "official guest" of the United States. The two were working to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, according to advocacy groups with which they were involved. Lischinsky was a research assistant for Middle East and North African affairs at the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., according to hisLinkedIn. Milgrim worked at the Israeli embassy since November 2023, according to herLinkedIn profile, which said her "passion lies at the intersection of peacebuilding, religious engagement, and environmental work." Sarah Milgrim remembered:Shooting victim was 'a light' who fought antisemitism Milgrim's friend, Ayelet Razin,told USA TODAYshe was dedicated to fighting antisemitism and called her "a light and an enlightened person," someone whose presence could instantly lift the people around her. "That was her most powerful armor: her wit, her intelligence, and her maturity," Razin said. While he was detained, Rodriguez shouted "Free, free Palestine," video of him being escorted out of the museum shows. "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza," he told investigators, according to the affidavit. He also allegedly expressed admiration for a person whoset themselves on fireoutside the Israeli embassy in February 2024, calling the person a "martyr," the affidavit said. Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington, D.C., on May 20, according to the affidavit. He brought a firearm with him in his checked luggage. The gun used at the shooting was a 9mm handgun purchased in Illinois in March 2020. Rodriguez wasborn and raised in Chicagoand attended the University of Illinois at Chicago, a biography accessed through the Internet Archive from the website for the nonprofit the History Makers said. He worked there as an oral history researcher, according to his LinkedIn account. At the time of the shooting he was working for the American Osteopathic Information Association, the group confirmed in a statement. Contributing: John Bacon, Thao Nguyen, Jorge L. Ortizand Melina Khan, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:DC shooting suspect faces local, federal charges: What we know