Washington DC - The man accused of the fatal Washington shooting of a couple working for the Israeli embassy has been charged with murder, authorities announced on Thursday.

Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim were killed as they exited the Capital Jewish Museum from a function for young diplomats on Wednesday evening.

The suspect, Elias Rodriguez of Chicago, had been charged with the murder of foreign officials, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. He was also charged with two counts of first-degree murder, the US Attorney's Office said in a statement.

"We will follow the facts and secure the most severe possible punishment for the perpetrator of this heinous crime, which robbed two wonderful young people of a bright future together," Attorney General Pamela Bondi said.

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Acting US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, a former far-right Fox News host, said the shooting was being investigated as a hate crime and a crime of terrorism.

"Violence against anyone, based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero," Pirro told a press conference. "Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation's capital."

Pirro said the investigation was still in its early stages, but the charges involve crimes that could carry the death penalty if convicted. The judge has scheduled a hearing in the case for June 18.

Rodriguez, allegedly opened fire on the victims as they left the museum, according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

Surveillance footage reportedly showed Rodriguez walking past the victims before turning and firing multiple rounds, the Attorney's Office statement said.

"After the victims fell, he allegedly continued firing at close range, including as one attempted to crawl away. Investigators recovered a 9mm handgun and 21 spent shell casings at the scene."

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A manifesto attributed to Rodriguez explicitly linked the assassinations to Israel's US-backed destruction of Gaza, where well over 50,000 Palestinians have been killed and the population is facing catastrophic levels of starvation engineered by an Israeli aid blockade.

Human rights organizations, legal experts, and a growing number of governments have deemed Israel's actions to be genocidal.