Suspect charged with terrorism, hate crimes after Jewish man shot in Chicago

A MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A JEWISH MAN, WALKING TO A SYNAGOGUE IN CHICAGO, IS NOW FACING FELONY TERRORISM AND HATE CRIME CHARGES, AUTHORITIES ANNOUNCED THURSDAY.

SIDI MOHAMED ABDALLAHI IS 22 YEARS OLD AND WAS ALREADY FACING SIX COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED FIRST-DEGREE MURDER, SEVEN COUNTS OF AGGRAVATED DISCHARGE OF A FIREARM, AND AGGRAVATED BATTERY.

ABDALLAHI SHOT A 39-YEAR-OLD JEWISH MAN AROUND 9:30 SATURDAY MORNING AND THEN SHOOTING AT FIRST RESPONDERS WHO ARRIVED ON THE SCENE, ACCORDING TO POLICE.

ONE BULLET HIT AN AMBULANCE AND NO OFFICERS OR PARAMEDICS WERE INJURED.

ACCORDING TO INVESTIGATORS, CHICAGO POLICE FIRED THEIR WEAPONS AT THE SUSPECT, STRIKING HIM MULTIPLE TIMES. HE WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

POLICE SAY ABDALLAHI WAS MOTIVATED BY HATRED AND TARGETED THE JEWISH VICTIM BECAUSE OF HIS FAITH.

“EVIDENCE FROM THE OFFENDERS PHONE INDICATED HE PLANNED THE SHOOTING AND SPECIFICALLY TARGETED PEOPLE OF JEWISH FAITH,” CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT LARRY SNELLING SAID. “THIS EVIDENCE ALLOWED US TO SECURE THE TERRORISM AND HATE CRIME CHARGES.”

SUPERINTENDENT SNELLING WOULD NOT ELABORATE ON WHAT EXACTLY DETECTIVES FOUND ON ABDALLAHI’S PHONE.

CHICAGO MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON SAYS HE’S APPALLED AND SICKENED BY THE SUSPECT’S “WICKED BEHAVIOR.”

“I HOPE THAT TODAY’S A FIRST STEP TOWARDS NOT JUST ACHIEVING JUSTICE IN THIS CASE BUT OUR CONTINUOUS WORK TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY FEELS SAFE, LOVED AND PROTECTED,” MAYOR JOHNSON SAID.

ACCORDING TO REPORTS, US IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT CONFIRMS ABDALLAHI IS A MAURITANIAN NATIONAL WHO WAS ENCOUNTERED BY US BORDER PATROL AGENTS IN SAN YSIDRO, CALIFORNIA, ON MARCH 31, 2023.

ABDALLAHI HAS NOT YET APPEARED IN COURT – AS HE REMAINS IN THE HOSPITAL AND AUTHORITIES DID NOT GIVE AN UPDATE ON HIS CONDITION THURSDAY.

HIS NEXT COURT APPEARANCE IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 7TH.

HE’S FACING A TOTAL OF 14 CRIMINAL CHARGES.

THE JEWISH VICTIM WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL ON SATURDAY.