A Chicago man has been charged with murder in a deadly shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C.
According to a criminal complaint, Elias Rodriguez was charged with two counts of first degree murder, murder of foreign officials, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
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WATCH HEREHe was expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon.
The charges come hours after Rodriguez was taken into custody by Metropolitan Police in D.C. late Wednesday night following the shooting that unfolded just outside the Jewish Museum.
According to officials, Rodriguez is believed to be the only suspect connected to the fatal shooting, and there is currently no threat to the public.
The shooting took place around 9:15 p.m. as the two victims were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, when the suspect approached a group of four people and opened fire, Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith said.
The suspect, who was observed pacing outside the museum before the shooting, walked into the museum after the shooting and was detained by event security, Smith said.
The gunman discarded the weapon inside the museum but it was recovered.
While in custody, the suspect shouted, "Free, free Palestine," Smith said.
Video obtained by NBC News, taken by an attendee at the Capital Jewish Museum and shared on social media, shows the suspected gunman being led out of the building.
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SIGN UP According to the complaint, Rodriguez admitted to officers at the scene that he "did it" and "spontaneously stated on scene to MPD, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.'"
Witnesses Yoni Kalin and Katie Kalisher were inside the museum when they heard gunshots and said a man came inside looking distressed. Kalin said people came to the man's aid and brought him water, thinking he needed help, without realizing he was the suspect. When police arrived, he pulled out a red keffiyeh and repeatedly yelled, “Free Palestine,’” Kalin said.
“This event was about humanitarian aid,” Kalin said. “How can we actually help both the people in Gaza and the people in Israel? How can we bring together Muslims and Jews and Christians to work together to actually help innocent people? And then here he is just murdering two people in cold blood.”
The FBI's Chicago Field Office said it is assisting the Washington Field Office in their investigation.
Officials noted Rodriguez flew from Chicago's O'Hare Airport to Reagan National Airport on May 20 via United Airlines. Records showed he declared and flew with a firearm in his checked baggage.
Police and FBI agents had guns drawn early Thursday morning surrounding a home in Chicago's East Albany Park neighborhood believed to be connected to Rodriguez.
NBC 5 reporter Sandra Torres reported around 8 a.m. several armed FBI officers entered the home on Troy Street, tied to suspected gunman Elias Rodriguez. Photos and video from the residential block show a large law enforcement presence, including the Cook County Sheriff, with Chicago police blocking streets.
The American Osteopathic Association said the Chicago resident was an employee of the American Osteopathic Information Association.
"We were shocked and saddened to learn that an AOIA employee has been arrested as a suspect in this horrific crime," the group said in a release. "Both the AOIA and AOA stand ready to cooperate with the investigation in any way we can. As a physician organization dedicated to protecting the health and sanctity of human life, we believe in the rights of all persons to live safely without fear of violence. In this time of grief, we extend our deepest sympathy to the victims’ loved ones and all others impacted by this act of violence. We wish for peace, comfort and strength in the days and weeks ahead."
Who are the victims?
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.
The shooting happened after the two attended the American Jewish Committee's annual Young Diplomat's reception at the Jewish Museum in Washington D.C.
In a post on X, the embassy said the two victims were “in the prime of their lives.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter said they were a young couple about to get engaged, and that Yaron had just purchased a ring and intended to propose next week in Jerusalem.
“Sarah and Yaron were stolen from us,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement. “Moments before they were murdered, they were smiling, laughing, and enjoying an event with colleagues and friends. We are in shock and heartbroken as we attempt to process this immense tragedy.”
According to AJC, Milgram, who is Jewish, is from Overland Park, Kansas. NBC News confirmed that Milgram graduated the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Arts in 2021. Milgram was also a student at American University where she graduated with a masters in International Relations in 2023, the school confirmed.
Lischinsky was a staff member of the Political Department at the Embassy of Israel focused on Middle East issues, according to the AJC.
"At last night’s event, he shared how excited he was to be going back home to spend the Jewish holiday of Shavuot with his family in Israel," Deutch's statement said.
'An attack on the Jewish community'
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who is Jewish, released a statement on the deadly shooting, calling it "an attack on the Jewish community." Pritzker also said a member of his team was attending the event when the shooting occurred.
"While they are shaken up, they are thankfully safe," the statement said. "MK and I are praying for the victims and their families and all of those affected by this tragedy."
“An evening of connecting and belonging hosted by the American Jewish Committee quickly turned into a nightmare," the statement continued. "Young Jewish people and diplomats came together in a museum built to honor their shared history but then had to flee gun shots and witness the killing of a young couple. As a Jew who led the building of a museum dedicated to standing up against bigotry and hatred, I know how sacred these places are and what trauma this incident has caused."
Pritzker helped to establish and raise funds for The Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie, which opened in 2009. His full statement is below:
I was horrified to hear of the deadly shooting at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC last night. Shortly after the incident occurred, I learned that a member of my team was attending the event. While they are shaken up, they are thankfully safe. MK and I are praying for the victims and their families and all of those affected by this tragedy.
“Law enforcement has apprehended the suspected gunman, and although the investigation continues, make no mistake: this was an attack on the Jewish community.
“An evening of connecting and belonging hosted by the American Jewish Committee quickly turned into a nightmare. Young Jewish people and diplomats came together in a museum built to honor their shared history but then had to flee gun shots and witness the killing of a young couple. As a Jew who led the building of a museum dedicated to standing up against bigotry and hatred, I know how sacred these places are and what trauma this incident has caused.
“Whether it’s gun violence or the rising tide of antisemitism, Americans of all backgrounds have an urgent obligation to stand for peace and reject bigotry in all its forms and in every way possible.”
Former President Joe Biden said he and wife Jill Biden were "horrified and saddened by the deadly shooting."
"Antisemitic violence and hate have no place in our communities," he wrote on X.
'Shocking act of violence'
"We are devastated that two cherished friends and partners from the Israeli embassy were shot and killed as they left an American Jewish Committee event at the Capitol Jewish Museum earlier this evening," AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement shortly after the attack.
Deutch called the shooting a "shocking act of violence."
"While we wait for the conclusion of the police investigation — and urge all our friends and allies to do the same — it strongly appears that this was an attack motivated by hate against the Jewish people and the Jewish state," the statement went on to say. "This senseless hate and violence must stop."
In a statement, the museum said it was "heartbroken by the murders."
“In an act of horrific antisemitic violence, a gunman attacked our beloved community. This tragedy is devastating. Such acts of terror attempt to instill fear, silence voices, and erase history—but we refuse to let them succeed," the statement read. “The Capital Jewish Museum was built to tell the centuries-old story of the greater Washington region’s vibrant Jewish community. We are proud to tell these stories of Jewish life. In our work, we share Jewish stories in the service of building bridges and opening dialogue in our beautiful city. We are working to re-open the museum in the coming days, with all necessary security in place, so we can return to telling the story of Jewish Washington for thousands of visitors from around the world.”
Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon posted on the social media platform X calling it “a depraved act of anti-Semitic terrorism.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ’s office said Thursday that he was “shocked” by the “horrific, antisemitic” shooting.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and wild incitement against Israel,” he said in a statement.
Dan Bongino, deputy director of the FBI, wrote in a post on social media that “early indicators are that this is an act of targeted violence.”
