Authorities are still trying to figure out what the heck happened outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington D.C. that led to a deadly shooting that killed two Israeli Embassy staff members. The alleged gunman, Elias Rodriguez, apparently bought a ticket to the American Jewish Committee’s annual Young Diplomat’s reception just a few hours before he decided to open fire outside the museum, taking the lives of an American woman and an Israeli man who were about to get engaged.
During his arrest, Rodriguez shouted some stuff about “Free, free Palestine,” which really didn’t go over well with the officials. He even admitted to officers at the scene that he “did it” and rambled on about doing it for Palestine and Gaza. The whole thing is being investigated as an act of terrorism and a hate crime, which is just plain awful.
The shooting was caught on surveillance video, and it showed Rodriguez firing at the victims multiple times, even after they fell to the ground. I mean, seriously, who does that? Yaron Lischinsky, the Israeli man, and Sarah Milgrim, the American woman, were a young couple about to get engaged. Lischinsky had just bought a ring and was planning to propose in Jerusalem next week. It’s just heartbreaking. And to make matters worse, Rodriguez even said he admired a guy who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in 2024. What is wrong with people these days?
Not really sure why this matters, but Rodriguez flew from Chicago to Washington and declared and flew with a firearm in his checked baggage. The FBI in Chicago is helping out with the investigation, and they even surrounded a home in Chicago’s East Albany Park neighborhood believed to be connected to Rodriguez. The American Osteopathic Association, where Rodriguez worked, was shocked and saddened by the whole situation.
Maybe it’s just me, but it’s really messed up how someone can just decide to take innocent lives like that. My heart goes out to the families of the victims, and I hope they find some peace in the midst of this tragedy. Violence and hate have no place in our society, and it’s up to all of us to stand against it.
