What we know about the Washington shooter, from his online activity

Online posts and accounts allegedly linked the suspect in the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff members in Washington show a fixation with extremist, far-left political ideologies.

The accounts of Elias Rodriguez, who was arrested at the scene, have been investigated by a former US intelligence officer former Travis Hawley

Together with a manifesto allegedly written by Rodriguez glorifying violence, which has been widely shared across social media, they paint a picture of  a man obsessed with race and class.

Rodriguez is charged with killing 30-year-old Yaron Lischinsky and 26-year-old Sarah Milgrim outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington. He could face the death penalty if convicted. During his arrest Rodriguez was captured on video chanting “Free, free Palestine.”

Less than 24-hours after the shooting, open source intelligence (OSINT) analyst Travis Hawley posted a detailed thread on X claiming to have found Rodriguez’s personal email address and several online accounts linked to it. Hawley is a former intelligence officer who has worked for the US Air Force, National Security Agency, and US Central Command.

Hawley shared a Goodreads account, linked to Rodriguez’s email address, under the name “Jayden Gonzalez,” with 238 books classified as “read” and another 48 classified as “want to read.”  

“I discovered the suspect’s Goodreads profile, which included a long list of politically radical reading material, as well as his Spotify account,” says Hawley, in a statement to The Jewish Independent. “These give us a unique window into the kind of content he was consuming – what he was reading, listening to, and potentially being influenced by.

“I fed this data into ChatGPT to generate a rough psychological profile. While not scientifically precise, the result offered insight into a mindset aligned with far-left extremist ideologies – anti-capitalist, pro-socialist, and deeply fixated on race and class.”

Hawley also found a Spotify account with music by the artist Muslimgauze, who has previously recorded albums called Hamas Arc, Intifaxa, and United States of Islam. Other playlists include cover photos with text saying “kill all cops,” as well as currency with Mao Zedong’s face. Another playlist was strangely titled “oct 23 // tikkun olam brigade,” referencing the Jewish expression for “repairing the world.”

On eBay, Hawley found an account linked to Rodriguez’s email, where he appeared to purchase rugs from Afghanistan. One vendor in particular, who left a comment thanking him for his purchase, sells rugs with images celebrating the September 11 terrorist attacks.

A manifesto allegedly written by Rodriguez was also posted by an anonymous account on X. ABC News has reported that the FBI is investigating writings posted on X, believed to be authored by Rodriguez, and suspect that they are “likely legitimate.”

Titled “Escalate For Gaza, Bring The War Home,” the 980-word manifesto accuses Western and Arab governments of being complicit in the “genocide” of Palestinians. The document appears to praise Aaron Bushnell, the 25-year-old active-duty US Air Force member who died last February, after setting himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washinton D.C.

In its closing statement, the manifesto appears to reference the shooting, claiming “the action” would have been “morally justified” 11 years ago during Operation Protective Edge, but would have seemed “insane” to most American citizens. The author says they are glad that, today, there are Americans who will find the action “highly legible” and even “the only sane thing to do.” The author then finishes by sending love to their family, saying “Free Palestine,” and signing the name “Elias Rodriguez.”

The manifesto first gained traction online when it was published on Substack by American independent journalist Ken Klippenstein. After publishing it, Klippenstein claimed on X that he was visited by the FBI. Meanwhile, controversial streamer Hasan Piker has been temporarily banned from Twitch, after reading the manifesto on a live stream.

A few hours after Klippenstein published the document, Hawley found more in his online investigation into Rodriguez. On X, Hawley found an account linked to Rodriguez’s email with the username @kyotoloather, which is currently suspended. However, the anonymous account which posted the manifesto had an almost identical username, @kyotoleather, with only one letter different.

While it has yet to be confirmed whether the account belongs to Rodriguez, it contains several troubling posts, including calls for “death to America” and “death to Israel.” The owner of the account has also promoted their Bluesky account, which has an image of two terrorists, who in October murdered seven people in Tel Aviv.

Although FBI investigators are still confirming the source of the manifesto, as well as the rest of Rodriguez’s online history, Hawley believes it’s important to publish his findings as soon as possible.

“My work supports both journalists and law enforcement, especially in urgent situations like this double homicide targeting members of the Jewish community,” says Hawley. “In these cases, it’s critical to gather as much information about the suspect as quickly as possible, particularly if there’s a risk they may flee the scene.”

“What makes OSINT so vital is the speed and flexibility it allows. While law enforcement agencies often have the tools and expertise, accessing those resources can take days or even weeks due to bureaucratic or technical delays. I can begin investigating immediately, using publicly available digital breadcrumbs to start putting the puzzle together.”

If Rodriguez’s alleged online behaviour is confirmed to be true, his political ideology stands in stark contrast to those of his victims.

Lischinsky and Milgrim, a couple who are believed to have been planning to marry, have been described as “lovely people who yearned for peace.” Milgrim was a volunteer with Tech2Peace, an organisation which brings together Palestinians and Israelis through tech, entrepreneurship, and dialogue.

Just before they were murdered, the couple had attended a Young Diplomats reception at the Capital Jewish Museum, an event focussed on bridge-building in the Middle East and administering humanitarian aid.