The Justice Department will seek the death penalty for Elias Rodriguez, who is accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum.

Prosecutors filed a court document on Friday stating that Rodriguez faces federal hate crime and murder charges for the killings of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim.

The incident occurred last May after they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum.

During the shooting, Rodriguez reportedly shouted 'Free Palestine' and later told police, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.'

The charges against Rodriguez include a hate crime resulting in death, with notice of special findings that allows prosecutors to pursue the death penalty.

According to Jeanine Pirro, the US Attorney for the District of Columbia, this decision serves as a message to anyone who seeks to commit political violence in Washington: 'D.C. is not the place.

You will be held accountable and you will face the full wrath of the law.'

Rodriguez allegedly targeted Lischinsky and Milgrim because they were perceived as attending an event for young Jewish professionals organized by the American Jewish Committee at the museum, intending to amplify the effect of his actions.

Prosecutors describe the killing as calculated and planned, with Rodriguez flying from Chicago to the Washington area and bringing a handgun in his checked luggage.

Surveillance footage shows Rodriguez approaching the victims and opening fire.

He appeared to reload before jogging away.

After the shooting, he went inside the museum and said, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed.' Additionally, he expressed admiration for an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing him as 'courageous' and a 'martyr.'

Rodriguez's attorneys have not yet responded to requests for comment.

A pretrial hearing is scheduled for June 30, with a trial date yet to be determined.