Alderman Debra Silverstein and Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling speak at a press conference, Oct. 28, 2024. (Screenshot)
(JTA) — Chicago Police have charged a suspect with attempted murder after he allegedly shot an Orthodox Jew walking to synagogue in Chicago on Saturday morning.
The victim, a 39-year-old man whose identity has not been released, was walking to Congregation K.I.N.S. in the West Rogers Park neighborhood when a man approached from behind and fired multiple shots, striking the victim’s shoulder.
Police say the man, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, then exchanged fire with law enforcement after police and paramedics arrived on the scene. Police shot Abdallahi, who was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. The victim was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon.
Abdallahi, whose detention hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, was charged with 14 total felony counts: six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a police officer/firefighter and one count of aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm.
Local authorities and Jewish groups urged caution in drawing conclusions about the motivation for the attack. But Debra Silverstein, the alderman for Chicago’s 50th Ward, said in an interview that she was disappointed by the lack of a hate crime charge.
“I am very disappointed by this turn of events and strongly encourage the Cook County State’s Attorney Office to prosecute the offender to the full extent of the law,” Silverstein wrote in an email to her constituents after charges were filed. “The police have assured me that they are continuing to gather evidence, and additional charges — including hate crime charges — can still be added.”
The incident comes at a time of high alert for Jewish communities nationwide. The shooting unfolded hours after the conclusion of Simchat Torah, the end of the Jewish High Holiday season and the anniversary, on the Hebrew calendar, of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The ensuing multi-front war has been accompanied by a spike in reported antisemitic incidents. It also came a day before the sixth anniversary of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, during which 11 worshippers were killed in the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.
Security camera footage that was posted on social media appears to show part of the Chicago incident, and multiple gunshots can be heard. An Israeli-American flag is also visible outside the home that recorded the footage, which also included audio of the assailant shouting. Many who have heard the recording concluded that the man shouted, “Allahu akbar,” or “God is the greatest” in Arabic.
“Given the circumstances, given the fact that here we have an Orthodox Jewish man, notably wearing a kippah, walking to synagogue on our Sabbath, I think my community and myself really were hoping to get hate crimes on this,” Silverstein said.
Silverstein, who is herself Orthodox, said she could not share the victim’s identity without permission but that she had visited him after the shooting.
It is not unusual for hate crimes designations to be added to criminal charges after they are first filed.
Other local Jewish leaders said they, too, thought hate crimes charges could follow.
“Assuming the investigation is complete and that there is evidence to indicate that he was targeted because he was Jewish, then I have all confidence that law enforcement—whether it be the state’s or the feds — will prosecute this as a hate crime for sure, and we would expect nothing different,” Lonnie Nasatir, president of the Jewish United Fund of Chicago, told the Jewish News Syndicate.
Silverstein said she convened a Zoom meeting on Sunday with Jewish clergy and communal leaders as well as Chicago Police leadership to discuss the shooting.
“The police share our disgust at a Jewish man being the victim of violence over the Jewish holiday,” Silverstein wrote. “They are dedicated to committing the resources necessary to keep our community safe and they ask for the public’s help in providing any information or footage that could aid in the investigation.”
Rabbi Leonard Matanky, who leads Congregation K.I.N.S., confirmed to JTA that the victim, whom Matanky knows personally, is a member of his synagogue and was headed there Saturday when he was attacked.
“We live in very dangerous times, where a lone gunman can wreak havoc on a safe community and cause people to lose their sense of security,” Matanky told JTA.
Matanky applauded local law enforcement for its response and encouraged the community not to speculate about the likelihood of a hate crime until the investigation is concluded.
“I think the people who are proclaiming it a hate crime, I don’t know if they have information beyond what the victim has — and I’ve spoken to the victim directly — and I don’t know if they have more information than the police have,” Matanky said. “And it may be [a hate crime], but at this point that hasn’t been determined yet. I don’t see any advantage of speculating while the investigation is going, is moving forward, and I know it’s moving forward quickly.”
Matanky said the victim is “a very fine family man” who is “well liked and well known.”
With concern high about the incident and its implications, national Jewish security groups said they urged caution in drawing conclusions about what happened in West Rogers Park, the main center of Orthodox Jewish life within Chicago’s city limits.
“Due to the complex and ongoing investigation, it is important that we allow law enforcement to do their work and avoid unverified rumors and misinformation until credible updates are provided by the authorities,” Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network, which operates a national “command center” out of Chicago, said before the charges were filed.
Silverstein encouraged her Jewish constituents to “go about our business” in the face of concern.
“Our neighborhood is always on high alert,” she said. “I have the assurance of the police and the superintendent that there is going to be a heightened security around here, as far as the police presence. We can’t be afraid.”
Matanky similarly urged the Jewish community to be careful — but nor fearful.
“My message is that we always have to remain vigilant, but we can’t let actions such as this cause us to cower in fear, nor to diminish our engagement with the world,” Matanky said. “There have always been dangers in this world, and every day we take actions understanding that those actions have risks. Fortunately, we live in a very safe community. But the world and the community has changed over the years. We need to be aware and always, always aware of our surroundings.”
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