Jeanine Pirro States She Will Seek Death Penalty for Man Accused of Attacking and Killing Israeli Embassy Workers

Death Penalty Sought in Embassy Shooting Case

Federal prosecutors are aiming for the death penalty for the individual charged with the fatal shooting of two employees from the Israeli embassy near the Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced in a letter on Friday that her office intends to pursue capital punishment against Elias Rodriguez. She expressed, “After a thorough review of the facts and law, my office intends to seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez.” Pirro cautioned potential assailants, stating, “Let me be clear: Anyone who commits acts of political violence in our nation’s capital will face the full force of the law.”

The new indictment claims that Rodriguez engaged in “intentional and premeditated murders” of Yaron Lisinski and Sarah Milgrim, describing the incident as a “targeted killing of individuals in connection with an event for young Jewish professionals at the Capital Jewish Museum.” The allegations also imply that Rodriguez’s actions endangered additional innocent lives.

Rodriguez reportedly had looked into the pro-Israel initiatives of the American Jewish Committee prior to traveling from Chicago to Washington, D.C., with a handgun in his luggage. He is said to have roamed the area outside the venue, approached a group of four individuals exiting a “reception for young diplomats,” and opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon at close range. Witnesses reported that he shouted phrases like “Liberate Palestine,” “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza,” and claimed, “Zionazi terrorism is shameful” as he was taken into custody.

The victims have been identified as Yaron Lisinski, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, both Israeli nationals who had been living in Overland Park, Kansas. They were reportedly on the brink of engagement at the time Rodriguez allegedly unleashed a barrage of gunfire. Rodriguez faced initial charges of hate crimes and murder back in August of the previous year, with terrorism-related charges added during a swift indictment process in February.