Federal prosecutors unsealed a sweeping new indictment on Wednesday against Elias Rodriguez that adds multiple terrorism-related charges to the already severe case stemming from last year’s fatal shooting of two Israeli diplomats in Washington.

The superseding indictment brings the total number of charges to nine, including murder, hate crimes, and terrorism offenses, several of which carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro said the new counts reflect prosecutors’ conclusion that the attack was not only criminal but ideological.

“These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. law, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror,” Pirro said.

Rodriguez, 31, is accused of opening fire on attendees leaving a May 2025 event for young professionals and diplomats hosted by the American Jewish Committee, an organization that combats antisemitism and supports Israel.

Prosecutors say Rodriguez fired roughly 20 rounds from a semi-automatic handgun, shouting “Free Palestine” as he attacked the crowd. Two employees of the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C. — Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, 26 — were killed in the shooting.

Among the earlier charges against Rodriguez are murder of a foreign official, first-degree murder, and hate crime resulting in death. Last month, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department intends to seek the death penalty.

Federal investigators say the attack was premeditated and politically motivated. According to prosecutors, Rodriguez wrote and published a manifesto attempting to “morally justify” the killings and encourage others to commit similar acts.

FBI officials say the document was part of a broader effort to frame the shooting as an act of resistance rather than mass murder.

If convicted on the most serious counts, Rodriguez faces mandatory life imprisonment or execution, bringing one of the most closely watched terrorism cases in recent years closer to a potential capital trial.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)