The gunman who murdered two Israeli embassy staff outside a Jewish event in Washington DC on Wednesday discharged his weapon 21 times, according to the charge sheet filed against the prime suspect.
Elias Rodriguez, who was detained at the scene, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials, according to a criminal complaint filed in the US District Court for the District of Columbia.
At about 9:08 pm, Rodrigues allegedly shot and killed Yaron Lichinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum, the site of “an event related to Jewish diplomatic and business relations, hosted by the American Jewish Committee," according to the filing.
The complaint noted that “several members of the United States-based Israeli diplomatic mission” attended the event.
The DC Fire and Emergency Medical Services transported Milgrim, who sustained “multiple gunshot wounds,” to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for the District of Columbia, but she was pronounced dead at 9:35 pm.
Lichinsky was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.14pm, the filing added.
The DC Department of Forensic Sciences subsequently found 21 used 9mm casings and the murder weapon in the area. The firearm was found “with its slide locked, indicating that no ammunition was remaining”.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives traced the recovered gun and found that Rodriguez bought it in Illinois on March 6, 2020, per the complaint.
As officers canvassed the area, Rodriguez allegedly told an officer that he “did it it for Gaza”. According to police, “Rodriguez spontaneously stated on scene to police: ‘I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza. I am unarmed’”.
As officers were escorting Rodriguez from the museum, he shouted, ‘Free Palestine’,” the complaint stated.
Police reviewed video footage of a person dressed “consistent with the clothing worn by Rodriguez” shooting two people outside the museum. After the two fell to the ground, per the complaint, the gunman was captured approaching, leaning over them and firing “several more times”.
As Milgrim tried to crawl away, “he followed behind her and fired again,” the complaint alleged. When he seemed to reload, she sat up, and he then fired “several times” more at her.
Rodriguez also apparently told DC detectives that he admired “the actions of an individual who self-immolated in front of the Israeli embassy... as a form of protest intended to draw attention to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” and “described this person’s actions as courageous and labelled him a ‘martyr,’” per the complaint.
This is understood to refer to former US airman Aaron Bushnell who set himself alight in protest last February.
“Rodriguez also stated that he had purchased a ticket to the event at the museum approximately three hours prior to its commencement,” it said.
The complaint added that Rodriguez flew on United Airlines from Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on May 20 and declared that he had a firearms in his checked baggage.
“This brutal, antisemitic violence has no place in our country or anywhere in civilisation,” said Pam Bondi, the US attorney general. “We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together.”
