Illinois man had allegedly ‘expressed support for violence against Israelis’
The alleged gunman who fatally shot two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, D.C., has been indicted on federal hate crime and murder charges, according to court records.
The indictment against the suspect, filed on Aug. 6, states that he is now facing two counts of hate crime resulting in death and two assault counts, making a total of nine charges connected with the killings of Sarah Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky on May 21.
The indictment contends that the suspect had “expressed support for violence against Israelis.”
It also contains special legal findings that allow the Justice Department to potentially pursue capital punishment, according to NBC News.
“There will be a rigorous process after which … the attorney general herself will decide whether or not to pursue the death penalty for [the suspect],” Jeanine Pirro, the United States attorney for the District of Columbia, said today at a press conference.
The 31-year-old Illinois man was initially charged through a criminal complaint on May 22 with charges including first-degree murder. He has remained in federal custody since the shooting and has not yet entered a formal plea in court, according to CNN.
Proving a Hate Crime
Prosecutors will next try to convince a trial jury that the suspect committed a hate crime, proving that the shootings were motivated by “religious bigotry” instead of hate against Israel. This task may prove challenging as the suspect repeatedly vilified Israel over the war in Gaza at the scene of the crime and allegedly online.
After the shooting, the suspect went inside the Capital Jewish Museum, yelled, “Free Palestine,” pulled out a red keffiyeh and told police, “I did it for Palestine; I did it for Gaza,” according to federal authorities.
The new indictment lists a series of alleged statements the suspect made criticizing Israel and expressing support for violence against its citizens.
He allegedly penned a manifesto dated one day before the shooting addressing the “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza, suggesting that the death toll of Palestinians has been underestimated, according to ABC News. Pirro said this manifesto “demonstrates [the suspect’s] hatred for Israel” at the press conference.
A year before the shooting, the suspect allegedly sent a social media message that reads, “please please please god please vaporize every Israeli 18 and above so these kids have some chance at being human.”
Prosecutors referenced the suspect’s alleged Jan. 1, 2024, social media post, “Happy New Year, Death to Israel,” according to the indictment.
‘Calculated and Planned’
Prosecutors described the killings as “calculated and planned,” given that the suspect traveled to the D.C. area from Chicago the day before the Capital Jewish Museum event. He bought a ticket to the event about three hours in advance, authorities said in court records.
Prosecutors said security camera footage shows the suspect approaching Milgrim and Lischinsky as they prepared to leave an event at the museum. The gunman allegedly shot at the two victims “several times,” and after they had fallen to the ground, leaned over them and fired more shots.
After Milgrim attempted to crawl away, the gunman allegedly “followed behind her and fired again.” He seemed to reload his weapon as Milgrim started to sit up and allegedly shot at her once more.
In a question about pursuing the death penalty, prosecutors said the suspect “intentionally and with forethought” killed the two victims, according to CNN. Pirro called his alleged killing of Milgrim “especially cruel and depraved.”
“Violence against anyone in this district will not be tolerated, especially violence which has hate at its core,” Pirro said at the press conference.
The suspect’s next court appearance is expected on Friday.
