DC Jewish Museum Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in Double Homicide

Elias Rodriguez pleaded not guilty to nine charges, including two hate crime and first-degree murder charges, in the shooting deaths of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. The couple, who were Israeli Embassy staffers and engaged to be married, were shot from behind after attending a Jewish Committee event. Rodriguez allegedly shouted "I did it for Gaza. Free Palestine!" after the shooting and was federally charged, allowing for the possibility of the death penalty, which the U.S. Attorney General will decide upon. Prosecutors have provided an extensive amount of evidence, including over 1.5 million pages of documents and digital data, leading the judge to classify the case as complex. The case marks a rare federal homicide prosecution in D.C., where local courts usually handle homicide cases and the death penalty has been abolished since 1981. The Justice Department's pursuit of hate crime charges highlights the antisemitic motivation behind the attack, which will be critical in securing a conviction.