Charges Filed in Shooting of Israeli Embassy Staff
Update at 4:13 PM: Judge Jeanine Pirro, serving as U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, has announced that charges have been brought against the man accused of killing two staff members from the Israeli embassy.
Indictments were filed on Wednesday against Elias Rodriguez, 31, who is alleged to have murdered Sarah Milgrim and Jaron Lisinski. The couple was shot in May while leaving the Capitol Jewish Museum.
Pirro mentioned that the charges total nine. They include first-degree murder of foreign officials, two hate crimes leading to death, two counts of using a firearm during a crime, in addition to two counts of assault while armed in connection to the murders.
She also confirmed that the death penalty is a potential consideration due to the seriousness of the charges. However, she indicated that the Department of Justice has “not yet made a decision” about actively seeking the death penalty, pending a review of specific findings related to the case.
The indictment highlights the particularly brutal circumstances surrounding Milgrim’s death, emphasizing her vulnerability described as “by frailty.” Pirro revealed that she had spoken with both families before addressing the press.
“These are people who are broken because of the actions of one man,” she remarked about the victims’ parents. “These should have been in-laws, but instead, due to one man’s actions, they cannot celebrate the intended marriage or future grandchildren.”
Pirro noted that the families have both the opportunity and the right to influence any decisions regarding the suspect’s eventual sentence.
“I want to make it very clear. Violence against anyone in this district is unacceptable, particularly when it is rooted in hate,” she declared. “The President appointed me to clean up the districts and ensure that crime does not tarnish our nation’s capital.”
On Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Department of Justice reportedly intends to pursue federal hate crime charges, potentially leading to the death penalty for the suspects involved in this tragic incident.
On May 21, 30-year-old Jaron Lisinski and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim, an American citizen, were shot outside the Israeli embassy after leaving the Jewish Museum. Lisinski and Milgrim were in a relationship and had plans to marry.
“It was the cutest love story,” an official remarked, likening it to a romantic comedy poster.
The couple was set to embark on a trip to Israel, which would have been Milgrim’s first meeting with Lisinski’s family. Reports also indicate that Lisinski had bought an engagement ring and intended to propose during the trip.
The shooting happened outside the museum, not at the embassy itself. Witnesses reported that Rodriguez, the shooter, could be heard chanting “Free Palestine!” during the incident.
After the shooting, he allegedly approached the couple and fired “several more times” to ensure they were dead. Documents reveal that a total of 21 rounds were discharged from a 9mm handgun, which was later located nearby and traced back to an illegal purchase in Illinois in March 2020.
When authorities arrived, Rodriguez purportedly stated, “I did that for Palestine. I did that for Gaza,” before being arrested.
Rodriguez is linked to an anti-Israel group called Socialism and the Party for Liberation, though the group asserts that he has not been associated with them for over seven years.
Insiders suggest that the Justice Department aims to secure a federal hate crime charge against Rodriguez this week, highlighting the need to demonstrate that the attack was driven by anti-Semitism and biased against specific traits such as race or religion.
