Chicago authorities have filed hate crime and terrorism charges against a suspect accused of shooting a Jewish man who was walking to synagogue and then opening fire on police and emergency medical responders.
The announcement comes after the shooting sparked strong condemnation from the city's Jewish community, whose leaders called for hate crime charges against the suspect, saying the victim was targeted because of his faith.
Police say Sidi Mohamed Abdallah, 22, shot a 39-year-old man who was wearing a kippah and walking to synagogue Saturday morning in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, north of the city's downtown area.
When officers and paramedics arrived at the scene, the gunman fired several shots toward them and hit an ambulance before officers returned fire and struck Abdullah, officials said.
Abdullah remained hospitalized and was unable to speak with law enforcement as of Thursday, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said. The victim's injuries were not life-threatening and he was released from a local hospital.
Police earlier this week announced preliminary charges against Abdullah, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a police officer or firefighter, and one count of aggravated battery with discharge of a firearm. Officials at the time did not rule out the possibility of a hate crime, but said they were working to determine a motive.
Snelling told reporters on Thursday that evidence obtained from the suspect's phone indicated that he “specifically targeted followers of the Jewish faith.” He did not provide additional details.
“This evidence allowed us to secure charges of terrorism and hate crimes,” he said.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said at the same press conference that the attack was “clearly motivated by hatred toward our Jewish community.” “There is no place in Chicago for anti-Semitism,” he added.
Local Chicago City Councilwoman Debra Silverstein, who was among a group of local Jewish leaders urging hate crime charges, thanked investigators for their work and members of her community for their patience.
“I know it was a very difficult time for all of us,” said Silverstein, who attended the same temple as the victim. “We are a strong, united and resilient community and we will remain that way.”
In the year following the deadly October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants, anti-Semitic incidents have surged in the United States, including harassment, vandalism and physical assault, according to the Anti-Defamation League. There has also been a significant rise in reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents, according to the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
The rise in such incidents has put law enforcement agencies at all levels on high alert as federal authorities monitor threats and local officials beef up surveillance and security at mosques and synagogues.
Snelling told reporters that the Chicago Police Department is putting additional resources around places of worship and will pay “special attention” to the synagogue where Saturday's shooting occurred.
