Man Accused of Murdering Israeli Embassy Staffers Pleads Not Guilty

Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old from Chicago, pleaded not guilty on Thursday to nine federal counts, including murder of a foreign official and committing a hate crime that resulted in death. Prosecutors allege that on May 21, Rodriguez, motivated by a deep hatred of Israel, fatally shot Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, as they were leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.

According to court filings, Rodriguez had registered online for the event, which was intended to be secure with an undisclosed location. However, upon registering, he received the address directly. In the chaotic aftermath of the shooting, security personnel, who were only stationed inside the museum, mistook Rodriguez for a victim and ushered him indoors with other attendees. This action inadvertently placed him in a room with terrified participants who were sheltering from the gunfire.

Prosecutors have built their case on surveillance footage, which they say shows Rodriguez approaching the victims, firing at them, and then continuing to shoot them as they fell. The footage allegedly shows him following Milgrim as she tried to crawl away and firing again, shooting her a final time as she attempted to sit up. Police recovered 21 shell casings and a 9mm handgun from the scene.

The case has been highlighted by the U.S. government as part of a broader effort to confront antisemitism. Court documents cite online statements made by Rodriguez before the attack, including a call to "vaporize every Israeli 18 and above." At the scene, he reportedly told police, “I did it for Palestine” and “I did it for Gaza,” and published a manifesto declaring that those responsible for Israel's military actions had "forfeited their humanity."

Lischinsky and Milgrim, who were soon to be engaged, were attending a young diplomats' event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, a group dedicated to combating antisemitism. Lischinsky was a research assistant in the embassy’s political section, while Milgrim was a member of the administrative staff.

Dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Rodriguez appeared before U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss, where his attorney, Elizabeth Mullin, entered the not guilty plea on his behalf. Mullin told the judge that prosecutors had provided "trillions of gigabytes" of evidence, which would require months to properly review. If convicted, Rodriguez could face the death penalty. His next court appearance is scheduled for December 5.

Let us hope, pray, and fight so that this disgusting terror loving individual never sees the light of day again.