Chicago Man Faces New Terrorism Charges After Washington Shooting

A man from Chicago, Elias Rodriguez, has been charged with additional terrorism-related offenses following the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington in May. Federal prosecutors announced these new charges on Wednesday.

Initially, Rodriguez faced hate crime charges and other federal offenses; however, a new superseding indictment now lists a total of 13 charges, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Washington. Importantly, Rodriguez, aged 31, remains charged with two counts of hate crime resulting in death. The latest indictment further includes four charges of committing acts of terrorism while armed.

“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,”

said Jeanine Pirro, U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia, in a public statement.

Rodriguez allegedly opened fire on Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, using a semi-automatic handgun, discharging around 20 bullets. Authorities stated that Rodriguez shouted, “Free Palestine,” and later claimed, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza,” after entering the museum. He reportedly captured the shootings on a body-worn camera.

Previously, Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to the charges in the initial indictment. New court records on Wednesday did not indicate whether he has entered a plea for the updated charges. Efforts to get a comment from Rodriguez’s federal public defender regarding the new charges were unsuccessful as of Wednesday evening.

The victims, Lischinsky and Milgrim, were both associated with the Israeli Embassy in Washington and had just exited a “Young Diplomats Reception” at the museum when Rodriguez attacked. Officials noted that Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen, while Milgrim hailed from Overland Park, Kansas. The two were about to become engaged, with Lischinsky having purchased an engagement ring and planning to propose to Milgrim shortly in Jerusalem, as stated by Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States.

If convicted, Rodriguez potentially faces a death sentence or life imprisonment. Prosecutors have not yet declared whether they will seek the death penalty, according to court records.

The four new charges of acts of terrorism while armed correspond to two existing counts of first-degree murder and two counts of assault with intent to kill. Furthermore, Rodriguez is also indicted with the murder of a foreign official, along with two counts of first-degree murder, two counts of hate crime resulting in death, two counts of causing death using a firearm, and two counts of assault with intent to kill, as per the U.S. attorney’s office.

Phil Helsel, an NBC News reporter, collaborated on this article, with contributions from Michael Kosnar, the Justice Department Producer for NBC News.