NBC 5 Investigates has learned how the confessed shooter from Chicago managed to fly from O’Hare International Airport to Washington, D.C. with the gun that he would use Wednesday evening to open fire on people leaving the Capitol Jewish Museum.
The suspect, 31-year-old Elias Rodriguez, pulled his nine-millimeter pistol from the waistband of his pants Wednesday evening and started firing at guests from the Israeli Embassy who had been at a Capitol Jewish Museum event.
When his gun was empty, he re-loaded, firing a total of 21 shots, according to federal law enforcement, who said that Rodriguez doubled back at one point, and kept firing even as one of the victims tried to crawl for her life.
Rodriguez was arrested after staying on the scene following his brazen attack, waiting for police.
He admitted being the perpetrator in the attack, saying he did in the name of freeing Palestine and even told police where to find the gun he had tossed after the shooting.
Rodriguez traveled with the weapon to D.C. via a United Airlines flight that departed from O’Hare Airport on Tuesday.
The gun, legally possessed by Rodriguez, was placed in his checked bag and declared via paperwork, making the travel with the gun legal.
In a federal complaint, Rodriguez was charged with first-degree murder and murder of foreign officials, among other charges.
“A young couple, at the beginning of their life’s journey, about to be engaged in another country, had their bodies removed in the cold of the night in a foreign city, in a body bag,” the newly installed U.S. Attorney for D.C., Jeanine Pirro, said. “We are not going to tolerate that anymore.”
Rodriguez’s LinkedIn profile shows he worked for the American Osteopathic Information Association as a full-time administrative specialist, with the organization confirming his employment.
A profile on Historymakers, a “website repository for the Black experience,” listed Rodriguez as an oral history researcher with a degree in English from University of Illinois at Chicago.
Rodriguez was also quoted several years ago in “Liberation,” a publication affiliated with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and was also pictured at a 2017 protest honoring the anniversary of the murder of Laquan McDonald by Chicago police.
Rodriguez directly connected the murder’s cover-up to Chicago’s bid for Amazon’s second headquarters at the time.’
Mike Masters, the CEO of Secure Community Network, a Chicago group that monitors threats against America’s Jewish community and institutions, said the attack represents a nationwide problem with antisemitism that is quickly growing.
“It’s an ongoing issue every single day. You know, last month alone, over 400 threat incidents and suspicious activity reports directed against the Jewish community. We referred close to 70 individuals to our law enforcement partners who presented a clear threat to Jewish lives. And I, I would let that sink in for people, simply because someone is a member of a faith-based community, they are seeking to practice their religion in a country that guarantees religious freedom and is the hallmark of democracy,” Masters said.
Authorities said Rodriguez was in Washington for a work-related conference and are currently investigating whether the Capitol Jewish Museum was targeted because it was hosting a new LGTBQ+ exhibit.
The hosting of the exhibit, due to its involvement with the LGBTQ+ community, prompted security concerns prior to the attack.
Rodriguez is being held without bond in Washington, D.C., with a court appearance scheduled for June 18. If convicted of the charges, he could face the death penalty.
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