Federal officials are examining writings believed to be linked to the man accused of fatally shooting two members of the Israeli Embassy staff in Washington, D.C. They are determining whether antisemitism was a possible motive for the attack.
Authorities have identified the suspect as Elias Rodriguez, a Chicago resident in his early 30s. Reports indicate that while in custody, he shouted “Free, free Palestine” and hinted that he was responsible for the shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum on Wednesday night.
Rodriguez made an appearance on Thursday before a federal magistrate judge. He faces charges including the murder of foreign officials, causing a death using a firearm, discharging a firearm during a violent crime, and two counts of first-degree murder.
Outside of a brick apartment building on a quiet tree-lined street in the Albany Park neighborhood of Chicago, law enforcement early Thursday cordoned off an address tied to the suspect by public records.
Several FBI vehicles pulled up to the building and agents dressed in camo gear and carrying large firearms went inside. They later left with what looked like large electronic equipment. Chicago police were positioned outside, blocking the entrance to the street.
John Wayne Fry, a neighbor, said he would interact with Rodriguez infrequently in the hallway or by the mailboxes, but knew him for having a “Justice for Wadea” sign in his window. Wadee Alfayoumi, was a 6-year-old Palestinian American boy who was fatally stabbed by his landlord in Illinois days after the Israel-Hamas war erupted in 2023.
Rodriguez “seemed like a normal, friendly guy,” Fry said, adding that the two had not spoken about Israel before but wished they had because “I would have talked him out of it.”
Efforts to reach family members in Chicago were not immediately successful.
In a post on X Thursday, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino wrote that the bureau “is aware of certain writings allegedly authored by the suspect, and we hope to have updates as to the authenticity very soon.”
The writings include social media posts that indicate a motivation to act on behalf of the Palestinian people.
A LinkedIn account for the suspect shows he worked for the American Osteopathic Information Association as a “profiles administrative specialist” beginning last July. The organization confirmed that the suspect was an employee.
“As a physician organization dedicated to protecting the health and sanctity of human life, we believe in the rights of all persons to live safely without fear of violence,” the association said.
Rodriguez also listed working as a coordinator and an oral history researcher from 2023 to 2024 for The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit organization in Chicago that collects video oral history of Black Americans.
An archive of the website says Rodriguez is a Chicago native who earned an English degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and had worked as a content writer in technology.
Politicians, both prominent Republicans and Democrats, have condemned the shooting that claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26. The couple was killed outside after attending a Young Diplomats reception at the museum organized by the American Jewish Committee, an advocacy group.
Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to Germany, wrote on X that Lischinsky “was a Christian, a true lover of Israel, served in the IDF, and chose to dedicate his life to the State of Israel and the Zionist cause.” The New York Times reported he was the son of a Jewish father and Christian mother.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Yechiel Leiter said Lischinsky was planning to propose to Milgrim.
President Donald Trump wrote on social media that the attack was “based obviously on antisemitism,” while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., who is Jewish, called it “another horrific instance of antisemitism which as we know is all too rampant in our society.”
Matthew Mulligan, Aaron Franco, Matthew Mata, Gary Grumbach , Tom Winter, Jonathan Dienst and Melissa Chan contributed.
