Federal and local authorities have charged Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, with murder in connection with the fatal shooting of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Jewish National Museum in Washington, D.C., yesterday, May 21, 2025.
Rodriguez faces charges in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, including the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. Additionally, he has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder under the D.C. criminal code.
The charges were announced today by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Steven J. Jensen, and Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela A. Smith.
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“This brutal, anti-Semitic violence has no place in our country or anywhere in civilization,” stated Attorney General Pamela Bondi, vowing to pursue “the most severe possible punishment” for what she described as a “heinous crime.”
U.S. Attorney Pirro echoed these sentiments, lamenting the “reeling” community and the “dreams that will never be realized” for the victims’ families. “Violence of any kind is unacceptable. Senseless acts that take innocent lives are intolerable,” Pirro asserted, emphasizing a unified front against those who inflict harm.
According to the affidavit, Rodriguez allegedly opened fire on the victims as they were leaving an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee, which convened Jewish professionals and members of the diplomatic community.
Both victims were confirmed to be employed by the Israeli Embassy, with one identified as an Israeli citizen and an official guest of the U.S. government.
Surveillance footage reportedly shows a chilling sequence of events: Rodriguez walked past the victims before turning and firing multiple rounds.
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Even after the victims fell, he allegedly continued to fire at close range, including at one who attempted to crawl away. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene.
Further investigation revealed that Rodriguez entered the Jewish National Museum after committing the murders. Witnesses and surveillance video reportedly confirmed his involvement.
Authorities also noted that Rodriguez had flown from Chicago to Washington the day prior to the incident, with the firearm declared in his checked luggage.
FBI Assistant Director in Charge Jensen unequivocally labeled the attack as “targeted, antisemitic violence,” assuring the public that the FBI would dedicate all available resources to the investigation.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department, with prosecution led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, supported by the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice. The investigation remains ongoing.
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