Suspected Terrorist Linked to Israeli Embassy Shooting

The individual suspected of fatally shooting two employees at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., had referenced his father’s military service in Iraq while seeking funds to attend a socialist rally in the capital.

Elias Rodriguez, 31, from Chicago, was at the center of a GoFundMe campaign for the People’s Congress’ Resistance Conference scheduled for September 2017.

Rodriguez faces serious charges, including first-degree murder and the murder of a foreign official, as he appeared in federal court on Thursday.

According to law enforcement, he allegedly used a high-end H&K 9mm pistol during the incident. Reports indicate he purchased the weapon years prior.

Sources have mentioned to the Chicago police that he is known within protest circles as the left-wing “Rubble Loser.” Over the years, he’s been involved in various protests, including those against the war in Gaza, actions against Amazon, and events supporting Black Lives Matter, particularly in the case of Laquan McDonald, a teenager killed by police in 2014.

In his request for travel funds, Rodriguez criticized the U.S. invasion of Iraq, calling it a “genocide imperialist war.” He highlighted his father’s service as a security guard in the Army.

Rodriguez recounted, “When my father returned from Baghdad, he brought back a souvenir—a magazine pouch with warnings in Arabic. He joked that the print was so small Iraq would be destroyed before he could even read it.” He also mentioned a piece of an Iraqi flag that his father managed to take from a soldier’s uniform.

Overall, he voiced a desire to prevent future generations of Americans from returning home from what he termed a trophy-driven war of imperialism.