Newly uncovered online messages have shed light on the deeply troubling mindset of Elias Rodriguez, the pro-Palestinian gunman who murdered two Israeli embassy staffers outside the Capital Jewish Museum last week.

Rodriguez, a 31-year-old Chicago resident, was arrested at the scene of the May 21 attack, which claimed the lives of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim — two young diplomats who were leaving a reception when gunfire erupted. Rodriguez shouted “Free, free Palestine” while in custody and later admitted to committing the crime “for Gaza.”

But new reporting by investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein has revealed an additional undercurrent to the story — one that suggests the rampage may have stemmed not just from radical political anger, but from a deeply disturbed and hateful worldview.

Klippenstein, who spoke with several former friends and associates of Rodriguez, published a disturbing profile of the suspect on Tuesday. According to his report, Rodriguez was a prolific contributor to a private group chat, where he posted a torrent of disturbing and violent messages in the days and weeks leading up to the shooting.

In those messages, Rodriguez reportedly fantasized about genocide against white Americans, expressed admiration for Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, and made shockingly callous suggestions about how to “dispose” of a mentally ill person.

“Lol you probably would have to actually genocide white people to make this a normal country,” he wrote in one message, before suggesting that “tens of millions” of white people would need to be imprisoned as part of a national rehabilitation effort.

Elsewhere in the chat, Rodriguez advised a group member to chain their schizophrenic brother in a basement, and “slide meals under the door,” adding coldly, “Just dispose of him.”

According to Klippenstein’s reporting, the suspect described being emotionally overwhelmed by “the genocide” every few days and breaking down in tears — an apparent reference to the war in Gaza. But his rants extended far beyond Middle East politics. Rodriguez wrote of personal trauma and repeatedly expressed deep bitterness, isolation, and disdain for nearly every segment of society.

“He was a bitter man who hated all sorts,” Klippenstein wrote, quoting one associate. “He seemed to have no filter — no boundaries.”

In one message, Rodriguez justified his admiration for Stalin by praising him for “ending the most antisemitic regime ever yet known to man” — a line that stands in grim contrast to his ultimate decision to murder two Israeli diplomats who he almost certainly thought were Jewish.

The new revelations only deepen the mystery surrounding Rodriguez’s radicalization and ultimate descent into violence. While law enforcement has not yet classified the attack as terrorism, the ideological content of his online posts — combined with his alleged confession — may put growing pressure on federal authorities to label the shooting a hate crime or act of domestic terror.

The disturbing nature of the messages has sparked outrage, with some questioning how such a dangerous individual went unnoticed and unmonitored. Others are calling on tech companies and law enforcement to take more proactive steps to identify and intervene when individuals publicly express fantasies of violence and extremism.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)