Justice Department seeks death penalty in killing of Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington

Rodriguez is accused of killing Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, on May 21, 2025, as the pair was leaving an event at a Jewish museum.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

US Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro announced that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC.

Rodriguez is accused of killing Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, on May 21, 2025, as the pair were leaving an event at a Jewish museum.

Federal prosecutors said the death penalty notice applies to charges including the murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.

Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear in court on June 30.

According to prosecutors, the attack was premeditated and motivated by political, ideological, national, and religious bias.

Authorities also charged Rodriguez with additional offenses including hate crimes and acts of terrorism.

Pirro said the Justice Department intended to pursue the maximum punishment available under federal law.

“Anyone who commits acts of political violence in the nation’s capital will face the full force of the law,” Pirro said in remarks reported by BBC News.

In an earlier statement, Pirro said prosecutors were committed to pursuing accountability for the attack and its impact on the Jewish community.

“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.

Prosecutors allege Rodriguez expressed support for violence against Israelis before the shooting, including in social media posts in which he allegedly wrote “Death to Israel.”

The case comes as President Donald Trump has embraced use of the federal death penalty after former President Joe Biden moved to limit its application.

The killings of Lischinsky and Milgrim drew national attention because the victims worked for the Israeli Embassy and the shooting took place outside a Jewish institution in the US capital.

Federal authorities said the charges against Rodriguez involve crimes tied to political violence and antisemitic targeting.