Federal Hate Crime Charges in Israeli Embassy Staff Killing

The U.S. has filed federal hate crime charges against Elias Rodriguez for the shooting deaths of two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington. The indictment claims he targeted them due to their national origin. The victims, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, were a couple attending a diplomatic event.

Federal authorities have charged Elias Rodriguez with hate crimes in connection to the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington earlier this year. The U.S. Department of Justice alleges that Rodriguez targeted the victims due to their Israeli nationality.

The nine-count indictment was announced following the May shooting incident, where Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26, were killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum. The couple had just attended an event organized to foster international relations among young professionals and diplomats.

The charges include first-degree murder, murder of a foreign official, and committing a hate crime resulting in death, highlighting the serious legal consequences faced by Rodriguez. Officials stress the importance of combating hate-motivated violence in the nation's capital.

(With inputs from agencies.)