US to seek death penalty for suspect in killing of Israeli embassy staff members

US to seek death penalty for suspect in killing of Israeli embassy staff members18 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGrace Eliza GoodwinAFP via Getty ImagesPeople attend a candlelight vigil for Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim across from the White House in Washington, DC on 22 May 2025The US government is seeking the death penalty for the suspect charged with killing two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington DC last year.The US Attorney for the District of Columbia, Jeanine Pirro, on Friday filed a notice of intent to seek capital punishment for three out of 13 total charges against 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez. President Donald Trump has embraced the federal death penalty after his predecessor Joe Biden limited its use.Prosecutors allege Rodriguez opened fire on the couple - Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26 - outside the Capital Jewish Museum before shouting "Free Palestine" during his arrest in May 2025.Rodriguez has pleaded not guilty.Pirro's office will seek death if Rodriguez is found guilty of the charges of murder of a foreign official, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, and causing death through the use of a firearm. The suspect has also been charged with other offences including hate crimes and acts of terrorism."My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific, and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim and our Jewish community," Pirro said earlier this year.Prosecutors allege that ahead of the shooting, Rodriguez expressed support for violence against Israelis, including in social media posts where he allegedly wrote "Death to Israel".Prosecutors have said he travelled from Chicago to Washington DC with a handgun after researching an upcoming networking event for young Jewish professionals at the museum.Lischinsky and Milgrim were leaving when the suspect fired 20 shots, killing them both, prosecut...