DC Shooter’s motives may trace to Tehran
DC Shooter who killed 2 Embassy Staffers May Have Ties to Iran-Linked Extremist Network
The FBI is investigating possible links between Elias Rodriguez, who fatally shot two Israeli Embassy staffers in Washington, and U.S.-based activist groups allegedly tied to Iran and the Chinese Communist Party. No official confirmation yet on foreign involvement.
On May 21, 2025, Elias Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, fatally shot two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. Rodriguez, charged with first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, and firearms offenses, allegedly shouted “Free, free Palestine” during his arrest and confessed to police, saying, “I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza.”
A 900-word manifesto titled “Escalate for Gaza, Bring the War Home,” posted on an X account linked to Rodriguez, condemned Israel’s actions in Gaza and justified “armed” action, though its authenticity is still under FBI investigation.
The National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), a controversial group often critical of the Iranian regime, claimed on X that Rodriguez was tied to U.S.-based activist groups with connections to Iran and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Their report, posted last Thursday, alleges that leaked data shows Iran’s state media, specifically PressTV, engaged and paid these groups, which reportedly promoted slogans like “Intifada revolution” and “Resistance is justified,” echoed by Rodriguez during the attack. One X post speculated that Rodriguez’s “2nd or 3rd degree connections” to PressTV suggest he might have been a Mossad asset for a “false flag” attack, though this claim lacks evidence and contradicts the NCRI narrative.
Rodriguez was briefly affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) in 2017, participating in Chicago protests against police violence and corporate expansion, as noted in a now-deleted Liberation News article.
The PSL distanced itself, stating Rodriguez had no contact with them for over seven years and was not a member.
No confirmed evidence directly links Rodriguez to Iranian funding, and the NCRI’s claims remain unverified by authorities. The FBI is investigating Rodriguez’s social media, electronic devices, and a potential hate crime or terrorism motive, with no official confirmation of foreign ties.
The investigation is ongoing, with a preliminary hearing set for June 18, 2025.
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