The man accused of killing two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., in May appears to have worn a bodycam and filmed the incident, according to federal investigators.
Elias Rodriguez, the suspect, was indicted on hate crime and murder charges in August and, if convicted, may face the death penalty after the killing of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, a young engaged couple who both worked at the Israeli Embassy. They were shot and killed when leaving a reception at the Capital Jewish Museum for AJC Young Diplomats, a branch of the American Jewish Committee. In the midst of firing 20 rounds from a handgun, according to witnesses, Rodriguez shouted “Free Palestine.” He also entered the Capital Jewish Museum, according to the indictment, and said, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
Rodriguez allegedly traveled from his home in the Chicago area with a pistol checked in his luggage on a flight from O’Hare International Airport. Newly filed court records allege that, during the attack, Rodriguez “was capturing both video and audio, depicting the murders from a first-person perspective,” according to a report by NBC Chicago. He reportedly used a Kaysunlink recording device that he had bought and had shipped to his hotel in Washington.
“This transaction, executed days before the offense, underscores that he premeditated carrying out an act of violence in D.C. at least days in advance, and prior to his travel from Chicago,” prosecutors said.
Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder and federal hate crime charges.
According to a mission statement, the Capital Jewish Museum “explores the Jewish experience in the national capital region and inspires visitors to connect personally and collectively, reflect on the relevance of the past to today, and act on behalf of their communities and values.” Current exhibitions at the museum include “LGBT Jews in the Federal City,” “What Is Jewish Washington?,” and “Connect. Reflect. Act.” Scheduled to open next spring is “Blacklisted: An American Story,” about the Red Scare of the 1950s and the Hollywood blacklist of the period.
