Shooter in Israeli embassy staff murder had online posts against Israel

Suspect in Israeli embassy shooting on Thursday, May 22, 2025, Elias Rodriguez, 31, had history of online posts against Israel, as revealed by the Associated Press.

Rodriguez was reportedly deeply involved in Chicago’s progressive activism scene before being charged with the fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy employees in Washington, D.C.

On Thursday, he was formally indicted for the murder of foreign officials, Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American.

The pair had just left a Jewish museum event and were planning to become engaged.

Rodriguez reportedly told police, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,” according to court filings.

This statement and his recent social media activity suggest that the ongoing war in Gaza was a significant factor in his radicalization and ultimate act of violence.

Rodriguez lived in a modest apartment on Chicago’s North Side and worked as an administrative assistant at a medical trade organization.

He had no known criminal record.

Known among his neighbors as a quiet, friendly person, Rodriguez often protested against police brutality and corporate influence.

According to them, he targeted especially, issues affecting marginalized communities.

A neighbor, John Wayne Fray, described him and the woman he lived with as “very sensitive people, especially about the issue of Palestine.”

His activism dates back at least to 2017 when he participated in a protest outside the home of then-Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

The demonstration opposed both the police killing of Laquan McDonald, a Black teenager, and Chicago’s bid to host a new Amazon headquarters.

The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) had identified him in an article at the time.

Although the organization now denies any current connection, calling his past involvement merely a “brief association.”

The PSL has since removed the article and publicly rejected any affiliation with the shooting, emphasizing their disapproval of violence.

Rodriguez’s commitment to activism extended online, where his posts had grown increasingly focused on Gaza.

His apartment window featured a photo of Wadee Alfayoumi, a six-year-old Muslim boy fatally stabbed in 2023 following the October 7 Hamas attacks, which killed over 1,200 people in Israel.

Rodriguez’s posts frequently condemned Israeli actions, calling them genocidal.

His social media history reveals a deepening preoccupation with the Gaza conflict over the past two years.

He used platforms like X (formerly Twitter) to share pro-Palestinian content, including footage from an October 2023 protest in downtown Chicago opposing U.S. military aid to Israel.

In one instance, he reposted speeches by Hassan Nasrallah, the former Hezbollah leader, who had recently been killed in an Israeli airstrike.

A GoFundMe campaign from 2017, reportedly aimed to help Rodriguez attend the People’s Congress of Resistance in Washington, D.C., to oppose the Trump administration.

In the campaign, Rodriguez recounted receiving war “souvenirs” from his father, a veteran of the Iraq War.

One was a patch stripped from an Iraqi soldier’s uniform.

Rodriguez criticized America’s involvement in “genocidal imperialist wars,” reflecting an early ideological formation that foreshadowed his later radicalism.

Just under an hour after the embassy shootings, an X account posted a message reading, “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” along with a nearly 1,000-word essay signed with his name.

The account was believed to be connected to Rodriguez.

It remains unclear whether the post was scheduled in advance or if someone else had access to his account.

The essay condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza, described the death toll as beyond counting, and referred to the killings as genocide.

He also spoke of becoming aware of the “brutal conduct in Palestine” 11 years ago and defended “the morality of armed demonstration.”

In his view, those who support or allow such atrocities lose their claim to humanity.

The essay ended with a tribute to his family and a call to “Free Palestine,” signed with the Palestinian flag emoji.

He also referenced Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. Air Force member who self-immolated in 2024 outside the Israeli Embassy in protest.

Rodriguez reportedly praised Bushnell as “courageous” and a “martyr” after his own arrest.

Rodriguez’s employer, the American Osteopathic Information Association, expressed shock and pledged to cooperate with the investigation.

In a statement, the organization emphasized its commitment to nonviolence and the sanctity of life.

The FBI has not commented on whether Rodriguez had been previously monitored.

Neither his family nor his attorney, Elizabeth Mullin, has responded to media inquiries.

For Diaspora Digital Media Updates click on Whatsapp, or Telegram. For eyewitness accounts/ reports/ articles, write to: citizenreports@diasporadigitalmedia.com. Follow us on X (Fomerly Twitter) or Facebook