A Chicago man arrested for the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., could face the death penalty if convicted of murder and hate crime charges, officials confirmed Thursday.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi will have the final say on whether to pursue the death penalty against Elias Rodriguez, the suspect in the May 21 attack, federal prosecutor Jeanine Pirro told reporters, as quoted by AFP.
Pirro’s comments come a day after federal prosecutors announced an indictment detailing nearly ten charges against Rodriguez, including charges of premeditated murder and hate crimes resulting in death. The Justice Department was authorized to pursue the death penalty.
Rodriguez, 31, was apprehended immediately after the shooting of Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and his fiancée, Sarah Milgrim, 26, outside the Capital Jewish Museum.
Pirro stated on Thursday that in addition to two counts of first-degree murder, a grand jury has also charged Rodriguez with hate crimes "because of his bias against the people of Israel."
"We have a problem with antisemitism in this country," Pirro remarked. "It's a problem and we're not going to tolerate it."
According to witnesses, Rodriguez allegedly shouted "Free Palestine" as he was led away by police after the shooting, also telling officers, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza."
Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, was a researcher at the Israeli embassy, while Milgrim, an American, worked in its public diplomacy department. The couple had been engaged to marry.