U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, announced a grand jury indicted Elias Rodriguez on nine charges, including hate crime and first-degree murder charges.
“The Attorney General herself will make a decision whether or not this office will seek death against Elias Rodriguez,” said Pirro.
“Violence against anyone in this district will not be tolerated especially violence which has hate at its core,” said Pirro.
Rodriguez has not yet entered a plea. His next court appearance is Friday.
“He [Rodriguez] demonstrated this hatred, through his words, death to Israel and his violent actions,” said Pirro of a manifesto the suspect reportedly posted on social media.
At an Aug. 7 news conference, Pirro said that Rodriguez traveled to DC from Chicago bringing a 9mm automatic in his baggage along with the manifesto on his iPhone, labeled as an “explication” calling for the “morality of armed demonstration.”
On the night of the crime, Pirro said Rodriguez approached the victims after they left the museum and fired approximately 20 shots. After the victims fell, according to Pirro, Rodriguez allegedly continued firing at close range, including as one victim tried to walk away.
“Then firing these fatal shots, he yelled, ‘Free Palestine.’ said Pirro. In the aftermath, 30-year-old
Yaron Lischinsky and 26-year-old
Sarah Milgrim, both Israeli embassy workers, lay dead. Both of the surviving victims are Americans.
Photo credit: Shmulik Almany
dcwitness.org
Court documents indicate that Rodriguez opened fire 21 times using a semi-automatic handgun. Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his 26-year-old girlfriend, Sarah Milgrim, were killed that night. The grand jury decided that there was sufficient evidence to determine that Rodriguez targeted the couple because of, "actual and or perceived national origin."
"He murdered Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim because of his bias against the people of Israel," Pirro alleged. "He demonstrated this hatred through his words death to Israel."
Lischinsky and Milgrim were outside the museum after an event hosted by the American Jewish Committee when they were shot. DC Police say Rodriguez began chanting, “Free, free Palestine” when he was being detained.mDuring the news conference Pirro singled out the attack on Milgrim, "who was particularly vulnerable due to infirmity," she added. Pirro refused to elaborate on her comments telling WUSA9 that it would be something that would come out in court. A close source to the family tells WUSA9 that Milgrim was
pregnant when she was killed
U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro announced that the process is underway to potentially seek the death penalty against the alleged shooter Elias Rodriguez.
www.wusa9.com
