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The U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, has revealed that the Department of Justice is contemplating the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez. Rodriguez has been indicted on multiple counts related to the deaths of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.
Initially charged with murdering a foreign official, causing death with a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a violent crime, Rodriguez now faces two counts of first-degree murder under D.C.’s criminal code.
30-year-old Elias Rodriguez of Chicago was identified as a suspect in the deaths of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (Instagram/@shinewithIsrael)
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The indictment includes charges that carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment. The decision on whether to seek the death penalty for Rodriguez will be made by Attorney General Pam Bondi.
“This office is dedicated to ensuring that justice is served for the innocent victims of Elias Rodriguez,” Pirro stated in a press release from the DOJ.
During a press conference, Pirro described Rodriguez’s actions against Milgrim as particularly cruel, without providing specific details. She mentioned that Milgrim was “particularly vulnerable due to infirmity.”
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, who were shot and killed after leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, in an image released by the Embassy of Israel to the U.S. on May 22, 2025. (Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS)
The Israeli Embassy in D.C. commended U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s decision to prosecute the individual responsible for the deaths of two embassy diplomats to the fullest extent of the law, denouncing the surge in anti-Israel hate speech and violence against Jews and Christian Zionists.
Court documents reveal that Milgrim was captured on video attempting to crawl away from Rodriguez after being shot multiple times, only to have the suspect follow her and fire more shots. Rodriguez then allegedly reloaded his firearm as Milgrim sat up, and fired at her repeatedly, according to the documents.
Pirro mentioned two other victims, identified as C.S. and A.T.
A bystander praying with an Israel flag near the Capital Jewish Museum close to the U.S. Capitol on May 21, 2025. (Tom Brenner For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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On May 22, Rodriguez allegedly shot and killed Milgrim and Lischinsky, two Israeli Embassy staffers attending an event at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. The fatal shots were fired while Milgrim and Lischinsky were outside the venue. Details about how Rodriguez allegedly victimized C.S. and A.T. were not provided by the DOJ.
After the shootings, Rodriguez reportedly entered the museum, pulled out a red keffiyeh — a Palestinian scarf — and declared, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
