A gunman attacked an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday night, killing two Israeli Embassy staffers and yelling “Free, free Palestine,” according to authorities. Police say a 31-year-old Chicago man, Elias Rodriguez, walked up to a group of four people and opened fire, killing Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim. Below are the latest updates.

According the affidavit filed by an FBI agent on Thursday, surveillance video shows Elias Rodriguez first walking past Lischinsky and Milgrim, then turning and shooting them in the back. He then fired at them again on the ground, reloaded, and fired again. Per the chilling affidavit:

Once RODRIGUEZ walked past the decedents and two witnesses, he turned to face their backs and brandished a firearm from the area of his waistband. RODRIGUEZ is captured on the video extending both his arms in the direction of the decedents and firing several times, as indicated by the muzzle flashes. Once the decedents fell to the ground, RODRIGUEZ is captured on the video advancing closer to the decedents, leaning over with them with his arm extended, and firing several more times. As Decedent-1 attempted to crawl away from RODRIGUEZ, he followed behind her and fired again. After a brief moment, RODRIGUEZ appeared to reload his firearm. At the same time, Decedent-1 sat up. Once he reloaded, RODRIGUEZ fired several times at Decedent-1.

Police recovered 21 bullet 9mm casings from the scene.

Rodriguez was seen throwing away his gun before entering the museum. He later confessed to Metro Police officers, telling them “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.” He also told police he had purchased a ticket to the event at the Capital Jewish Museum.

The initial charges include murder of foreign officials and first-degree murder.

BREAKING | NBC News: Elias Rodriguez has been charged with the killing of two Israeli government staffers in D.C.

He faces:
- Murder of Foreign Officials
- Causing the Death of a Person Through the Use of a Firearm
- Discharge of a Firearm During a Crime of Violence
- First…

The interim U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said during a press conference that “we’re going to continue to investigate this as a hate crime, and a crime of terrorism, and we will add additional charges as the evidence warrants.” She also said “it’s far too early to say” whether federal prosecutors will seek the death penalty.

Officials told the New York Times that Rodriguez also legally flew with the weapon to Ronald Reagan National Airport before the attack.

Details continue to emerge about the 31-year-old suspect, Elias Rodriguez, from Chicago. He was allegedly seen pacing back and forth outside the event, then walked up, pulled out a handgun, and attacked a group of people who were leaving the museum. After the shooting, he entered the museum, appearing to be in distress. An event organizer told Sky News that the suspect seemed “distraught” and that she brought him water without realizing there had been a shooting or that he may be a gunman.

After he was detained by police, Rodriguez chanted “Free Palestine.”

The night before the attack, Rodriguez posted a long post on social media titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring the War Home” in which he condemned the “atrocities committed by the Israelis against Palestine,” and sought to justify “armed action” — though he did not reference any specific plans to carry out an attack.

Pro-Palestinian signs appear in what is believed to be the windows of the suspect’s home in the diverse Albany Park neighborhood in Chicago, where he worked for a health care organization, per the New York Times:

[Rodriguez] previously held jobs in production, research and writing.........

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