Hate crime and terrorism charges were announced Thursday after a Jewish man was shot while walking to synagogue in Chicago over the weekend in what police now say was a “targeted” attack.
Police had earlier this week announced multiple charges against 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, who originally faced six counts of attempted first-degree murder and seven for aggravated discharge of a firearm at officers and firefighters, among other charges.
On Thursday, Abdallahi was charged with an additional felony count of terrorism and one felony count of a hate crime, Chicago’s top cop, Supt. Larry Snelling, said.
“We want everybody to know that we will never tolerate violence that’s rooted in hate and bigotry,” Snelling said during a press conference announcing the charges.
The shooting took place at around 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the 2600 block of W. Farwell, police said, when Abdallahi allegedly opened fire on a 39-year-old man who was walking to synagogue.
Ald. Debra Silverstein, of the city’s 50th Ward, had previously said the victim was wearing a kippah at the time of the attack and noted the community where the shooting took place, West Rogers Park, has a large Orthodox Jewish population.
The gunman then fired at responding officers and paramedics multiple times from various locations, police said, with officers returning fire and striking him. No members of the Chicago Police or Fire Departments were injured, police said.
Snelling said Abdallahi remains hospitalized in wake of the shooting, and detectives have been unable to interview him, making it particularly difficult to determine a motive.
“Because they haven’t been able to interview the shooter, detectives used digital evidence,” Snelling said, adding that evidence from Abdallahi’s phone “indicated he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of Jewish faith.”
Snelling declined to specify what exactly was discovered on the phone, however.
According to the Jewish United Fund, police said during a meeting with the group Monday that Abdallahi shouted “Allahu Akbar” while firing at officers, leading to the belief that the attack may have been motivated by hate.
“We did not secure these charges because of public pressure or because of media attention. We will never go out in public, make statements, allegations, accusations or attempt to bring charges without any proof of what we’re attempting to charge someone for,” Snelling said. “Gathering evidence and facts takes time and we have to do it in a timely fashion so that we don’t impede the possibility of getting charges… we will never do things just on belief. We need proof.”
Snelling said the 39-year-old Jewish victim “did not suffer life threatening injuries,” but added “we know that this is something that he’s going to have to deal with the rest of his days.”
“We should be outraged,” Snelling said, addressing residents.
Snelling was joined by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and Silverstein in announcing the additional charges.
“A place of worship is a sacred place,” Johnson said. “We are all working together to put an end to the hatred of our Jewish siblings.”
Foxx noted that terrorism charges in such cases are rare.
“We understand that what happened last Saturday stoked incredible fear in the hearts of those who practice the Jewish faith in our city,” Foxx said.
She said the attacker “sought out this particular community, sought out this particular faith.”
Abdallahi was slated to appear in court Tuesday, but the appearance was postponed as he remained hospitalized. His next assigned court date is Nov. 7, officials said, and he has been assigned a public defender.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) said an investigation into the incident captured the scene on body cameras. That footage is expected to be released within 60 days of the shooting.
“We are a strong, united, resilient community, and we will remain that way,” Silverstein said.
During a press conference Tuesday, leaders from Agudath Israel of Illinois, the Anti-Defamation League and the Chicago Rabbinical Council addressed the shooting and concerns raised by the community in wake of the attack.
“Members of the Jewish Orthodox community are the most vulnerable to violent attacks,” Rabbi Sholomo Soroka said. “We are easily identifiable as Jews.”
The Rabbi also noted that the victim’s daughters frequently accompany him on walks to synagogue.
“Could you imagine? What would have happened if they were with him?” he said.
“Here in our community, Saturday’s shooting of an Orthodox community member while walking to Shabbat services was the realization of the worst fear held by many,” David Goldenberg of the ADL said. “And that is not OK.”
Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Chicago Division said it was “aware of the referenced event and continues to work diligently with local, state, and federal partners to provide critical resources and assistance as we learn more.”
“Residents of Illinois deserve to feel safe while walking our neighborhoods’ streets, and we are committed to doing our part to return a sense of calm to the community,” the agency said in a statement.
Police said evidence indicated the gunman was “working alone” and don’t believe there are any additional suspects at this time.
