Feds file sweeping terrorism charges against suspect in deadly DC ambush of Israeli Embassy staffers at museum

U.S.

Feds file sweeping terrorism charges against suspect in deadly DC ambush of Israeli Embassy staffers at museum

Elias Rodriguez allegedly gunned down Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim while shouting 'Free Palestine'

Alexandra Koch Fox News

Published

February 4, 2026 7:37pm EST

Video

Suspect in murders of Israeli Embassy staffers gets day in court

Katie Kalisher, who interacted with suspect Elias Rodriguez following the murders in Washington, D.C., joins 'Fox & Friends First' to tell her story and share her ongoing fears about the safety of Jews in America.

NEW

You can now listen to Fox News articles!

A Chicago man accused of gunning down two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C., is now facing sweeping terrorism charges, as prosecutors say the deadly ambush was a calculated, ideologically-driven attack meant to terrorize the Jewish community.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, is charged in a 13-count superseding indictment unsealed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, with multiple terrorism-related offenses in connection with the May 21 fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in D.C.

Rodriguez was previously charged with the murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, along with two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two counts each of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed.

The superseding indictment adds four counts of acts of terrorism while armed, two counts each of first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill.

GIF shows arrest of DC Jewish museum shooting suspect

Elias Rodriguez of Chicago has been charged in the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers on May 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Instagram/@shinewithIsrael)

SUSPECTED NEW JERSEY JIHADI FANTASIZED ABOUT KILLING JEWS WITH SWORDS IN ALLEGED ISIS PLOT: FEDS

Court documents allege Rodriguez approached Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, as they left a "Young Diplomats Reception" at the museum, fired roughly 20 shots from a semi-automatic handgun, and called out "Free Palestine."

After the shooting, authorities claim Rodriguez entered the occupied museum, pulled out a red keffiyeh and said, "I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza."

As police removed Rodriguez from the museum, he allegedly shouted, "shame on you" and "shame on Zio-nazi terror" at the remaining event attendees.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter at scene of shooting in Washington, D.C.

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, speak to law enforcement officials at the site of the shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers on May 21, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)

POLICE: BONDI BEACH SHOOTING SUSPECTS HAD BOMBS, ISIS FLAGS AND RECENTLY TRAVELED TO PHILIPPINES

Both Lischinsky and Milgrim died in the attack, and two wounded embassy workers survived.

Darren Cox, FBI assistant director in charge of the Washington Field Office, said that in addition to the shooting, Rodriguez allegedly wrote and published a manifesto "attempting to morally justify his actions and inspire others to commit political violence."

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro added her office will not rest until Rodriguez is held accountable for the "horrific and targeted act of terror."

Memorial for two Israeli Embassy staffers fatally shot in D.C.

People gather to light candles in a makeshift memorial to honor Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, who were killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen and employee of the Government of Israel, who was in the U.S. on official business while working for the Israeli Embassy.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Milgrim, of Overland Park, Kansas, was also employed by the Israeli Embassy.

Several of the charges filed against Rodriguez carry a maximum penalty of death, and a mandatory life sentence.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.

Feds file sweeping terrorism charges against suspect in deadly DC ambush of Israeli Embassy staffers at museum