The man accused of killing two Israeli Embassy staffers outside the Capitol Jewish Museum last May now faces multiple terrorism charges, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago native, was charged in a 13-count superceding indictment unsealed on Wednesday in federal court in Washington, D.C. The charges include four counts of terrorism while armed and a federal aggravating factor for substantial planning and premeditation to commit an act of terrorism.
Rodriguez was previously indicted on hate crime and murder charges in the fatal shooting of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26. Both victims were employed by the Israeli embassy and were attending a reception for AJC Young Diplomats, a branch of the American Jewish Committee. AJC board member Jojo Kalin said Rodruguez entered the museum after the shooting and shouted, “Free Palestine.”
According to the indictment, authorities noted that Rodriguez had posted on social media about Israeli “atrocities” in Gaza.
At a September arraignment on the earlier indictment, Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to all charges.
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro said in a statement that several of the newly filed charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
“My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific, and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim and our Jewish community,” Pirro said. “These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror.”
