US Justice Department Seeks Death Penalty in Israeli Embassy Attack Case The US justice department's decision to seek the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, accused of fatally shooting two Israeli embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington, sends a chilling message to hate groups: DC is not a sanctuary for ideologically motivated violence.
Rodriguez is charged with federal hate crime and murder charges, which hinge on proving he was motivated by antisemitism when he opened fire on Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.
Prosecutors point to Rodriguez's shout of "free Palestine" during the shooting and his later claim that he acted for Gaza as evidence of a premeditated attack driven by ideology.