Chicago police step up security around Israeli Consulate, Jewish synagogues after D.C. shooting
Chicago police confirmed they are upping security around the city's Jewish community in the wake of the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., Wednesday night.
A 31-year-old Chicago man, Elias Rodriguez, was arrested outside the museum late Wednesday night for allegedly shooting and killing two Israeli Embassy employees who were leaving an event at the museum — Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli, and Sarah Lynn Milgrim, an American.
Rodriguez was charged with two counts of first-degree murder, murder of foreign officials, causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. All are felonies, and the murder charges carry up to life in prison or the death sentence, if he is convicted.
Video shows the suspect chanted "Free, free Palestine!" while being arrested.
Chicago police said in the wake of the shooting, the department is increasing its attention and presence around the Israeli Consulate in the Loop and at synagogues and other Jewish places of worship.
"We already put out special attention for places of worship," said Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling. "We are going to communicate openly with the Jewish community about what's going on."
The Chicago Consulate of Israel has been targeted by pro-Palestine protesters multiple times since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel that killed more than 1,200 people. During the 2024 Democratic National Convention, more than 50 people were arrested when an unsanctioned protest turned briefly violent.
"We are devastated and heartbroken by this senseless killing," said Chicago Israeli Consul General Yinam Cohen. "What happened last night in Washington, D.C., could have happened here in Chicago."
Aid. Debra Silverstein (50th), the only Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, also said she has spoken with Snelling, who confirmed that while there is no local threat, the 24th District is increasing patrols.
"I ask for law enforcement to investigate any ties to local extremist groups and to act swiftly to make sure the Jewish community in Chicago is kept safe," Silverstein said. "It is time for us to stop allowing antisemitism to masquerade as violent, anti-Israel action. It is time for our elected leaders to keep our local communities safe."
Ald. Silverstein represents the 50th Ward, which contains the largest Orthodox Jewish community in Chicago.
"I'm heartbroken, and I think this was a horrific attack," she said.
There has been a dramatic rise in hate crimes against Jews in the state of Illinois and across the nation in recent years, and particularly following the October 7, 2023, attack on Southern Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza with Hamas.
Lonnie Nasatir with the Jewish United Fund, an organization that is over a century old, said that the Jewish community is scared right now, but resilient.
"It hit us to our core as a community," Nasatir said. "We're not just going to bow down to this. We are going to stay strong. We, unfortunately, are a people that has dealt with a lot of stress."
Nasatir said while the Jewish community would continue to be strong and live their lives undeterred, the attack has everyone worried and requires tighter security.
"Antisemitism cannot be normalized," Nasatir said. "That's what this is."
That sentiment was echoed by David Goldenberg, who leads the Anti-Defamation League in the Midwest, which holds confronting antisemitism as a core value and mission.
"This act was an act of antisemitism," he said. "It was an act of hate. And it is one that should be categorically and universally rejected."
Synagogues also regularly employ extra security measures, especially following antisemitic threats or attacks and around the High Holy Days.
"It's not just about enhancing security," said Cohen. "What we need to address is the root cause of what we've seen last night."
In April, the official Pennsylvania Governor's Residence was set on fire and a man charged with arson, terrorism and other offenses during Passover. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro is Jewish.
And on Oct. 17, 2018, Robert Bowers entered the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh with an AR-15 and three handguns, declared "All Jews must die," and opened fire. Eleven people were killed and more were injured.
University of Chicago political science professor Robert A. Pape, who specializes in international security affairs, said the D.C. shooting is "a horrible event that we've seen. This is horrible."
"What we are seeing is the slippery slope of political violence that we find ourselves in as a country. For years, now, we have been seeing a spate of violent, politically violent, politically motivated attacks, and it's important that as we're grieving for the loss of these two young people that we not see this as an isolated event, or even something just about antisemitism," he said.
Pape said studies by the University of Chicago have found an overlap of antisemitism and support for political violence for both right-wing grievances and left-wing grievances.
"Yes, this individual attacker probably was individually motivated to attack Jews based on Gaza, but this is too narrow of a focus; because what we're seeing is over and over and over again, a whole variety of attacks of political violence in our country. I call it our era of violent populism, and we're not going to get at this by just hiring more security guards in front of Jewish buildings, because as we've seen, attackers can get them on the street," he said.
Pape said, while it makes sense to take such steps to increase security around synagogues and other Jewish facilities in response to the D.C. shooting, he said "this is not going to be even a 10% solution to the problem."
"We've got to have a broader approach to this," he said. "We've got to tackle this not as is if this is a Jewish problem today. This is a problem that we're seeing as a slippery slope across a whole variety of vulnerable communities, and political targets, and political leaders. We need to approach it holistically, not individually."
