A Chicago man who railed on social media against the ongoing bombing of Gaza fatally shot two members of the Israeli Embassy near the Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday before allegedly admitting to a police officer he “did it for Palestine,” according to federal charges unsealed Thursday afternoon.
Elias Rodriguez, 31, of the 4700 block of North Troy Street, is charged in U.S. District Court in Washington with first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, and causing a death with use of a firearm, according to the six-page criminal complaint.
Rodriguez, who was arrested at the scene, is scheduled to appear in court Thursday afternoon, according to officials. A news conference was set for 4:45 p.m. in Washington.
According to the complaint, Rodriguez boarded a flight for Washington at O’Hare International Airport on Tuesday. Shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, Rodriguez shot two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington as the victims were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, the complaint stated.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar identified the victims as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. Lischinsky was a research assistant, and Milgrim organized visits and missions to Israel.
Rodriguez was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, and afterward approached a group of four people and opened fire from behind, the charges alleged. Rodriguez followed behind Milgrim as she tried to crawl away and fired several more times into her body, the charges alleged.
The post Charges filed against Chicago man in the fatal shooting near DC Jewish museum first appeared on Voxtrend News.
