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CNN
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A man facing felony terrorism and hate crime charges after authorities said he shot a Jewish man and fired at responding officers during an October shootout in Chicago has died of an apparent suicide, the Cook County Sheriff's Office said.
Sidi Mohamed Abdullahi was found unconscious during a routine security check at the Cook County Jail on Saturday, the Cook County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. The medical staff began life-saving measures, and Abdullah was transferred by ambulance to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to the statement.
“There is no evidence of foul play at this time,” the sheriff's office said, adding that there was no indication of a suicide risk prior to the incident.
Abdullah has been housed in the jail's medical facility “as a result of medical and mental health evaluations” since his transfer from St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois, on November 15, according to the sheriff's office.
Abdullah is accused of firing several shots at a 39-year-old Jewish man who was walking to a synagogue before shooting “at responding officers and paramedics multiple times from various locations” on October 26. Officers returned fire and wounded the gunman, according to Chicago police. He said.
The victim was taken to the hospital after the shooting, but was later released. No police or fire personnel were injured.
Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling later said investigators found evidence from Abdullah's phone indicating he was targeting members of the Jewish faith.
In addition to the terrorism and hate crime charges, Abdullah faced six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated shooting, and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm. He was scheduled to be arraigned on December 6.
Abdullah was a Mauritanian national encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in San Ysidro, California, on March 31, 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in October. The agency had placed an immigration detainee in Cook County Jail after Abdullah's arrest. ICE will not provide further information about his immigration status.
The Cook County Medical Examiner is conducting an autopsy. CNN reached out to Abdullah's lawyer for comment.
CNN's Cindy von Kudnau and Whitney Wild contributed to this report.
