It’s published
The man was arrested as the only suspect Fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees In Washington, he was charged on Thursday with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of a foreign official.
According to court documents, 31-year-old Chicago-born Elias Rodriguez cried out “Free, free Palestine” after shooting and killing two Israeli embassy employees outside an event in the US capital on Wednesday.
US citizens Sarah Milgrim and Israeli German state Jaron Lisinsky were killed in the attack. According to Israeli Ambassador Yetiel Reiter, the two were young couples set up to get engaged.
After his arrest, Rodriguez told police “I did that for Palestine, I did that for Gaza,” federal authorities announced Thursday the charges they described as targeting terrorism.
Rodriguez appeared in US federal court in Washington on Thursday but did not enter the plea. Prosecutors said additional charges were likely to be likely as they investigate the case as both a hate crime and a terrorist act. If convicted, Rodriguez could face death penalty.
According to an FBI affidavit, Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington with a handgun in his checked baggage.
According to the document, law enforcement agencies saw and reviewed security footage showing Rodriguez passing the victim first.
One of the victims fell to the ground, and the other was identified as Milgrim, but he tried to crave him. He approached both and fired several more times, according to the affidavit.
Witnesses say he entered the building in visibly painful after the attack, urging bystanders to help him before realising that he was allegedly perpetrated.
The event at the Capital Jewish Museum was dedicated to supporting Gazan, organizers said.
The killings prompted Israeli embassies around the world, increasing security, reducing flags to half, and sparking much criticism from world leaders.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he was “shocked” by the “terrifying anti-Semitism” shooting.
Additional sources •AP
