U.S. Government Wants Death Penalty for Elias Rodriguez

May 15, 2026, 18:20
USPolitics

Introduction

The U.S. government wants to kill Elias Rodriguez. He shot and killed two people from the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C.

Main Body

Rodriguez went from Chicago to Washington, D.C. with a gun. He waited for people at a Jewish museum. He shot Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim many times. He planned this attack. The government says Rodriguez hated the victims. He wrote a letter about his ideas. He liked people who fought against Israel. Because of this, the police say he committed a hate crime and terrorism. President Donald Trump wants to use the death penalty again. The government now uses lethal injections or firing squads to kill prisoners. The lawyer for the government says Rodriguez must pay for his violence.

Conclusion

Elias Rodriguez is in prison. He says he did not do it. He goes to court again on June 30.

Learning

⚡ The 'Past Action' Pattern

To reach A2, you must move from now to before. Look at how the story describes the man's actions:

  • He shot (not shoot)
  • He waited (not wait)
  • He planned (not plan)
  • He wrote (not write)

How it works: Most of these words just need an -ed at the end to show the action is finished.

Example: Wait → Waited

The 'Rule Breakers' (Irregular): Some words change completely. You must memorize these:

  • Shoot → Shot
  • Write → Wrote

📍 Location Words

Notice how we move from one place to another using from and to:

Chicago from\text{from} →\rightarrow Washington, D.C. to\text{to}

Use this pattern for travel:

  • I go from my house to the school.
  • He flew from London to New York.

Vocabulary Learning

government
the group that makes rules for a country
Example:The government made a new law.
kill
to cause a person or animal to die
Example:He tried to kill the mouse.
people
human beings
Example:Many people came to the park.
shot
to fire a gun at someone
Example:She shot the ball.
museum
a place where items are shown to the public
Example:We visited the art museum.
letter
a written message sent to someone
Example:She wrote a letter to her friend.
lawyer
a person who gives legal advice
Example:The lawyer helped the client.
prison
a place where prisoners are kept
Example:He was sent to prison.
court
a place where judges hear cases
Example:The case went to court.
again
one more time
Example:Please try again.
use
to employ something
Example:Use a pen to write.
penalty
a punishment for breaking a rule
Example:The penalty was a fine.
death
the end of life
Example:Death is inevitable.
victim
someone harmed in an accident or crime
Example:The victim was rescued.
hate
to dislike strongly
Example:I hate loud music.
crime
an illegal act
Example:The crime was reported.
terrorism
the use of violence to scare people
Example:Terrorism is a serious problem.
injection
a shot given by a syringe
Example:The injection was painless.
June
the sixth month of the year
Example:We have a meeting in June.