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By James Bickerton
News Reporter
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Elias Rodriguez, the 30-year-old suspect in the fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy employees at a Jewish museum in Washington, D.C, appears to have made a donation to President Joe Biden's 2020 campaign.
The Context
On Wednesday night, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, identified as Israeli Embassy employees by the Israeli Foreign Ministry, were shot dead at the Capital Jewish Museum.
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Washington Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith identified the suspect as Rodriguez. She said he had been taken into custody at the museum after the shooting and chanted "free, free Palestine" as he was arrested.
What To Know
A person named Elias Rodriguez donated $500 to the Biden for President campaign committee on March 11, 2020, according to a Federal Election Commission filing.
The person gave their address as 3132 N. Kimball Ave., which is in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. It's the same neighborhood that an 'Elias Rodriguez' lived in, according to his profile on the website of The HistoryMakers, a nonprofit that says it is committed to "preserving and making widely accessible the untold personal stories of both well-known and unsung African Americans."
On Thursday morning, the Rodriguez account on the HistoryMakers website was removed.
According to a LinkedIn account, a person named Elias Rodriguez worked as a "Production and Logistics Coordinator & Oral History Researcher" at The HistoryMakers between March 2023 and July 2024.
On the Federal Election Commission form, Rodriguez said his employer was CouponCabin, where he worked as a senior content associate. That matches the Rodriguez LinkedIn account, which says they worked as a "Senior Content Associate & Training Coordinator" at CouponCabin between February 2019 and April 2022.
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Newsweek has not independently verified that the Elias Rodriguez LinkedIn and The HistoryMakers accounts belong to the same person who carried out the shooting, though there is a visual resemblance in the photographs of the suspect arrested and the profiles.
CouponCabin is a Chicago-founded company that provides online coupon codes to its users.
In a statement sent to Newsweek, the American Osteopathic Association said: "The American Osteopathic Association (AOA) joins with the American Osteopathic Information Association (AOIA) to express our profound sorrow in response to the tragic shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, on Wednesday evening.
"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. We extend our deepest sympathy to the victims' loved ones, wishing them peace, comfort and strength during this unimaginably difficult time."
Newsweek has contacted the Washington Metropolitan Police, Chicago Police Department and The HistoryMakers for comment on Thursday outside of regular office hours via telephone, email and online inquiry form. Former President Joe Biden was also contacted via his presidential library.
What People Are Saying
One eyewitness, who told WAGA-TV that they saw the suspect being arrested inside the museum after the shooting: "The security guard happened to let this guy in. I guess they were thinking and he was covered in rain, he was clearly in trauma, he was in shock, and some of the people in the event brought him water, they sat him down. 'Are you OK? Were you shot? What happened?' He's like, 'Somebody call the cops.'
"So about 10 minutes later when the cops actually came in he said: 'I did this,' he said, 'Sir I'm unarmed,' he put his hands up he grabbed a red kaffiyeh out of his pocket and started the free Palestine chants. You know, 'there's only one solution, intifada revolution' and he was being dragged out of the building as he was yelling 'free Palestine.'"
Zineb Riboua, a researcher at the Washington-based Hudson Institute think tank, paid tribute to one of the victims in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "Yaron Lischinsky was the finest friend I've ever had, brilliant, kind, and endlessly thoughtful. A devout Christian and a gifted linguist, he spoke German, Hebrew, and Japanese. He was full of curiosity and always brimming with ideas. I don't think we ever had a conversation that didn't leave me inspired to write something new.
"He loved America. He was excited about the future, about finally visiting Texas, and about the life he and his beloved fiancee were building together. I was supposed to meet her today. They are both gone. And the loss is immeasurable. The world has lost two extraordinary souls. And I have lost a dear friend who made every moment brighter."
Education Secretary Linda McMahon, on X: "My heart breaks for the victims of the horrific act in Washington, D.C, last night.
"As law enforcement works to hold the perpetrator fully accountable, we must acknowledge that our college campuses have become a breeding ground for this antisemitic hate. It will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration."
What Happens Next
Police are expected to formally charge Rodriguez, after which he will face a trial.
While the District of Columbia abolished capital punishment in 1981, it can still be applied for certain federal crimes, including terrorism and espionage.
Update 5/22/25, 10:16 a.m. ET: This story has been updated with comment from the American Osteopathic Association.
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