Washington prosecutor to seek death penalty for accused killer of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, DC

(AFP) Washington prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the alleged killer of two employees of the Israeli embassy located near a Jewish museum in the U.S. capital, according to court documents.

Elias Rodriguez, of Chicago, was arrested and charged after he shot and killed Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old Israeli, and his fiancée, Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old American.

The attack occurred on May 21, 2025, in the midst of the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorist group.

The subject shouted "Free Palestine" at the time of his arrest and reportedly told investigators, "I did it for Gaza."

According to the capital's prosecutor, Jeanine Pirro, a former court TV show host who was appointed by President Donald Trump last year, Rodriguez's acts were "motivated by political, ideological, national, and religious bias, contempt, and hatred."

In August, Pirro stated regarding this case, "We have a problem with antisemitism in this country."

Elias Rodriguez is charged with voluntary manslaughter and murder, as well as a "hate crime." This amounts to crimes against people because of their racial, ethnic or cultural affiliation.

According to the FBI, the man acted alone.

Since returning to power last year, Donald Trump has ordered the Department of Justice and its federal prosecutors to seek the death penalty for the most serious crimes, such as hate crimes.

This practice remained frozen under the Biden administration.