Steve Jenson, from the FBI's Washington DC field office, called the killings "an act of terror and directed violence against the Jewish community". Police identified the suspect as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago who had bought a ticket to the museum event about three hours before it began. According to details in an affidavit, Elias Rodriguez initially opened fire on the victims, then reloaded and shot again "several more times" at closer range. The suspect landed in the Washington DC area one day earlier, Jenson said, and investigators are still piecing together his whereabouts before the attack. According to an affidavit, officials believe he flew on Tuesday from Chicago to Washington DC for a work conference.