First Lady Melania Trump released a statement late Thursday afternoon on the shooting deaths of two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, D.C. Wednesday night by a pro-Palestinian activist.
30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim, who were soon to be engaged to be married, were gunned down while leaving an event at the Capital Jewish Museum by a gunman who called out “Free, free Palestine!” and pulled out a red keffiyeh when he was arrested a few minutes later at the museum. 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez was charged in federal court Thursday with first degree murder and several felonies in the shooting attack.
The First Lady called for unity, citing the national motto.
E Pluribus Unum: Out of Many, One.
At the core of the United States Constitution are the principles of tolerance, unity and religious freedom. Today, I urge Americans to reflect on our identity and our collective future. We must remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding the dignity of every individual.
The tragic murders of Sarah Lynn Milgrim and Yaron Lischinsky in our nation’s capital serve as a stark reminder of the need for moral clarity and firm action. Let us come together in both grief and determination to confront hatred and to uphold the ideals that define our nation.
We. Are. One.
First Lady Melania Trump
— First Lady Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) May 22, 2025
An eyewitness said in addition to chanting, “Free, free Palestine,” the alleged gunman also shouted, “There is only one solution, Intifada revolution.” The chants and cadence are the same as those heard at communist led protests at college campuses in support of the massive October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas.
According to this witness, Elias Rodriguez confessed to the double homicide. Another witness says that the victims were executed from behind. pic.twitter.com/3jqUpARmnp
— Marina Medvin (@MarinaMedvin) May 22, 2025
Rodriguez was a participant in 2017 with the Chicago chapter of the communist front group Party for Socialism and Liberation.
Elias Rodriguez is a reported member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, holding a Marxist @answercoalition sign at a Chicago protest. I’ve been warning endlessly about these groups since 10/7 because the data clearly shows: they are in an unholy alliance with Islamists,… pic.twitter.com/fSySnE9XN6
— Asra Nomani (@AsraNomani) May 22, 2025
PSL posted a statement Thursday distancing the group from Rodriguez, “We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL. He had a brief association with one branch of the PSL that ended in 2017. We know of no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do not support it.”
We reject any attempt to associate the PSL with the DC shooting. Elias Rodriguez is not a member of the PSL. He had a brief association with one branch of the PSL that ended in 2017. We know of no contact with him in over 7 years. We have nothing to do with this shooting and do…
— Party for Socialism and Liberation (@pslnational) May 22, 2025
