FBI searches Chicago property possibly connected to suspect in shooting outside DC Jewish museum
Victims identified as Israeli embassy staff members; Chicago leaders, Jewish community condemn attack
CHICAGO (WLS) -- A man from Chicago is in custody in connection with the shooting deaths of two staffers at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night.
The suspect has been identified as Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Illinois man who officials said shouted "free, free Palestine" following the shooting. He is now facing multiple federal charges in relation to the deadly shooting, including first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Thursday morning, FBI agents were seen outside an address in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood that is possibly connected to the suspect.
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A day after Sarah Milgrim. and her boyfriend Yaron Lischinsky, both Israeli embassy staffers, were shot and killed after leaving an event. at the D.C. Jewish Museum, authorities said surveillance video showed Rodriguez shooting the couple in the back and continuing to fire after they fell to the ground.
Authorities alleging in court papers that Sarah Milgrim "attempted to crawl away," but Rodriguez "followed behind her and fired again."
He later allegedly told an officer after entering the museum, "I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed."
"Make no mistake, this attack was targeted antisemitic violence, and it won't be tolerated," said Steve Jensen, FBI Washington Assistant Director In Charge.
Authorities say Rodriguez flew to D.C. from O'Hare Airport on Tuesday with a declared firearm in his checked bag and was in Washington for his own work conference.
Rodriguez is employed in Chicago by the American Osteopathic Association, which said it would "cooperate with the investigation."
In Albany Park Thursday, FBI agents were seen leaving with several boxes. Sources briefed on the investigation told the ABC 7 I-team. an analysis of Rodriguez's online activity showed postings about the Israel-Hamas conflict, almost since it started, with escalating violent references.
There was a lot of curiosity and anxiousness around the Albany Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side during the FBI investigation. Investigators took off the yellow tape from the entrance of the building after hours of coming in and out with evidence.
FBI investigators poured through an apartment building, which is believed to be the home of Washington, D.C. shooting suspect. A heavily armed FBI tactical team snaked single-file through a gate and into an apartment building in the 4700-block of North Troy.
The FBI told ABC News it is conducting court authorized activity, but would not offer any more details.
Neighbors were out all morning, trying to get a better look at the flurry of activity happening on the normally quiet Northwest Side street.
"I went out for my morning walk and just saw all the trucks and everything," a resident who lives nearby said. "It's really crazy out here right now."
RELATED | 2 Israeli embassy staffers ID'd after being killed in apparent 'targeted attack' in Washington, DC
Neighbors told ABC7 they were shocked to see what was happening, and they described Rodriquez as quiet and friendly.
ABC News talked to the suspect's mother over the phone, who confirmed the alleged gunman is her son but declined to comment any further.
One man told ABC7 he lives next door to Rodriguez in an apartment, and he said the entire situation represents the need for a ceasefire overseas.
"Sad and disappointed," he said. 'We have two people dead in D.C. We have 50,000 dead in Gaza, and how many children starved to death last night?"
SEE ALSO | UN says no aid that has entered Gaza this week has reached Palestinians
Another man pointed out the window of where Rodriguez lives, saying it's right next door to his. In that window was a photo of Wadee Al Fayoumi, the 6-year-old Palestinian-American boy who was stabbed to death in 2023 by a man who's now convicted of murder and hate crimes.
Video has also emerged on social media appearing to show the D.C. shooting suspect being taken into custody, shouting "Free, Free Palestine."
The American Osteopathic Information Association said the suspect was an employee, and the organization released a statement saying in part, "We were shocked and saddened to learn that an AOIA employee has been arrested as a suspect in this horrific crime. Both the AOIA and AOA stand ready to cooperate with the investigation in any way we can. 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 flurry of activity in Chicago comes after investigators say Rodriguez allegedly shot and killed two Israeli embassy staffers, who were leaving an event at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night.
The Embassy of Israel to the U.S. identified the two as Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Miligrim, a couple about to get engaged.
"The young man purchased a ring this week, with the intention of proposing to his girlfriend next week in Jerusalem," said Michael Leiter, Israeli ambassador to the U.S.
Investigators said the couple was at a celebration for young Jewish diplomats at the Capital Jewish Museum.
Katie Kalisher said she spoke with the suspect unknowingly after the shooting.
"The suspect came over to where I was, and we offered him water," Kalisher said. "He reaches into his backpack and pulls out a keffiyeh and says, 'I did it. I did this for Gaza.'"
"The suspect was observed pacing back and forth outside of the museum," DC Metro Police Chief Pamela Smith said. "He approached a group of four people produced a handgun and opened fire striking both of our decedents. After the shooting, the suspect then entered the museum."
Now, at least a part of that investigation, is spilling over into Chicago.
"The neighborhood is really quiet and really family-friendly," a nearby Albany Park resident said. "I'm always going for walks."
The woman, who lives near the law enforcement activity in Chicago, said she's shaken.
"I mean, I've seen his photo," she said. "I've never seen him. It's just kind of surreal to imagine that somebody I see every day could've been that person."
ABC7 has reached out to law enforcement in the Chicago area about any additional security measures that may be put into place.
Reaction from the city's Jewish community has been swift, expressing sorrow and also condemnation of the attack, which many have attributed to the political climate that's been allowed to fester unchecked in the City of Chicago over the last year and a half.
Those at the very top of the city's Jewish community called the Chicago suspect's radicalization unsurprising.
"This guy was not a lone wolf, even if he acted so, because he was part of a very specific political movement of a very specific political circle in the city of Chicago, and ignoring it is the worst thing we can do," said Yinam Cohen, Consul general of Israel to the Midwest.
Cohen relayed part of his conversation with Mayor Brandon Johnson, who called him Thursday to express his condolences.
"I told him that I really appreciate his heartfelt message. It's very important," Cohen said. "But I also added that what we need to see right now is not just words, we need to see action and we need to see more leadership in the City of Chicago."
It was the same message coming from Chicago's Jewish United Fund headquarters, where an an increased police presence was clearly visible Thursday morning. They say antisemitic language has spread unchecked during the wave of pro-Palestinian protests on city's streets and in college campuses as Israel's war against Hamas has dragged on.
"These are not innocuous rallying cries," said Lonnie Nasatir, President of the Jewish United Fund Great Metropolitan Chicago. "These are cries to kill Jews and destroy the Jewish state of Israel. River to the sea. Globalized intifadah. These aren't benign. These are calls to action."
In Lincoln Park on Thursday, Rabbi Mendy Benhiyoun with the Chabad of Lincoln Park echoed those sentiments, while also speaking for a community which has been at the heart of a growing number of antisemitic acts over the last year and a half, including the repeated flyering of dozens of homes and vehicles were flyered for months with messages of hate. He said the D.C. killings hit home.
"It has shaken the core of the American-Jewish community because it means we're not safe," Rabbi Benhiyoun said. "He didn't even know who he was killing. He didn't even know who they were. Reports are that he didn't even know they were Israeli. They were Jewish."
This incident comes as the Anti Defamation League reported more than 400 antisemitic incidents in Cook County last year. That includes this October shootout between a hate crime suspect and Chicago police after he allegedly shot and injured a Jewish man walking to synagogue in Rogers Park, and the campus attack on two Jewish DePaul students in November.
"We are surrounded by it in Chicago. Unfortunately, that is not unusual," said Beth ida Stern with American Jewish Committee Chicago. "We are a pretty typical community in terms of the increase and visibility of these incidents."
The Illinois Holocaust Museum has released a statement saying, "The Illinois Holocaust Museum mourns the senseless murder of two staff members of Israel's embassy, Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who were tragically shot last night at the Capital Jewish Museum. Our hearts go out to their families, the Israeli community, and all affected by this horrific act. We stand united against antisemitism and violence against Jews in all forms and reject the normalization of hate and violence as unacceptable."
Alderman Debra Silverstein released a statement saying, "I am horrified by the antisemitic terrorist attack yesterday that saw a young Jewish couple gunned down in the streets of Washington DC. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the entire Jewish and Israeli communities as they deal with the aftermath of this horrific attack. I am also deeply concerned to learn that the attacker came from Chicago. I spoke with Superintendent Larry Snelling and the police commanders, who say that there is no known threat to our local Jewish community. However, out of an abundance of caution, the 24th District is increasing patrols and putting extra attention on our community. I ask for law enforcement to investigate any ties to local extremist groups and to act swiftly to make sure the Jewish community in Chicago is kept safe. It is time for us to stop allowing antisemitism to masquerade as violent, anti-Israel action. It is time for our elected leaders to keep our local communities safe."
Governor JB Pritzker said a member of his staff was attending the event, and, while shaken up, they are safe.
In a statement, the governor said, "Law enforcement has apprehended the suspected gunman, and although the investigation continues, make no mistake: this was an attack on the Jewish community. An evening of connecting and belonging hosted by the American Jewish Committee quickly turned into a nightmare. Young Jewish people and diplomats came together in a museum built to honor their shared history but then had to flee gun shots and witness the killing of a young couple. As a Jew who led the building of a museum dedicated to standing up against bigotry and hatred, I know how sacred these places are and what trauma this incident has caused. Whether it's gun violence or the rising tide of antisemitism, Americans of all backgrounds have an urgent obligation to stand for peace and reject bigotry in all its forms and in every way possible."
Former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel said in a statement, "Amy and I want to share our deep condolences to the parents, the families, and the friends of Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky, who lost their lives in the nation's capital last evening.
To be frank, it's getting very old, trite, and far too frequent to say there's no space for violence after every violent political act. If we want to be honest with ourselves, we will need to have a hard conversation with some difficult questions at the core about why, why now, and why these people."
The Council on American-Islamic Relations- Chicago said in a statement, "We stand squarely against vigilante violence - even against those who may be complicit in genocide. It is lawless and criminal.
"We also reject the cynical attempts to link an act of a lone wolf to the movement of tens of thousands of peaceful anti-genocide protesters on our streets and in our schools. The fact is, the shooter departed from our peaceful movements, instead choosing to adopt Israeli government tactics: Israel assassinated seven foreign embassy personnel in Damascus a year ago.
"Lastly, we urge the media and the public to show equal concern for all victims of violence. For months, hundreds of innocent Gazan children have been slaughtered, and thousands now face deadly starvation. I have yet to receive a request for a statement. I reject the insinuation that their lives are any less worthy. Their stories deserve the same attention, outrage, and empathy."
ABC News contributed to this report.
