The Chicago man charged with killing two Israeli embassy staffers has been a vocal advocate for Palestinian issues and a staunch critic of corporations.

Police identified the lone suspect as Elias Rodriguez, a Chicago man in his early 30s, in a shooting that left two Israeli Embassy staffers dead.

The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia announced multiple charges against Elias Rodriguez on Thursday, May 22

The gunman allegedly opened fire outside a Wednesday-night event at the Capital Jewish Museum and afterward shouted “Free Palestine.”

Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, was charged in the deaths of a young couple. Moments after a burst of gunfire was heard outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington on Wednesday night, a breathless man in a blue suit rushed into the building.

Interim US Attorney Jeanine Pirro on Thursday said the fatal shooting of two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington appears to be a “death penalty eligible case” as she announced charges against the suspect.

Groups that monitor hate crimes said the Hamas attack in 2023 and the subsequent war had helped fuel tens of thousands of anti-Jewish incidents globally, including cases of verbal abuse and violence.

Investigators are trying to authenticate an online document posted by an X account linked to the accused gunman, according to two law enforcement officials.