Friday, November 01, 2024
Illegal immigrant accused of shooting Jewish man and police charged with hate crime
The suspect who shot and injured a 39-year-old Jewish man and fired at first responders in Chicago is facing felony charges.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi is believed to have targeted people of Jewish faith at Rogers Park during the weekend.
Detectives sifted through digital evidence to establish this case. Evidence from the offender's phone indicated he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of Jewish faith. This evidence, allowed us to secure the terrorism and hate crime charges," Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference Thursday.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx said, "We were able to determine that this individual plotted this particular community, sought out this particular community, sought out this particular faith, that the efforts to engage in this crime were not spur of the moment. They were not simply to rattle at the time, but to inflict terror.
Evidence shows Abdallahi was working alone, Snelling added.
Authorities have said the 22-year-old suspect fired several shots at the man who was walking to Temple on Saturday morning. He then fired at responding police officers and paramedics several times. Police returned fire, striking the gunman. Abdallahi, who was injured, remains hospitalized and hasn't been interviewed.
At the same news conference, Mayor Brandon Johnson and Foxx highlighted the city's zero-tolerance policy for antisemitism and the commitment to justice and community safety.
"There is absolutely no place in Chicago, for antisemitism. There's no place in our city or hatred directed towards our Jewish community," said Johnson."My administration and I, are committed to continuing this work with our partners across the city, to again ensure that we are all working together to put an end to the hatred towards our Jewish siblings. Antisemitism in Chicago does not reflect the soul of Chicago."
This charge sends a clear message any acts that seek to destabilize our communities through fear and hatred will face the fullest measure of accountability under the lost by simply hate has no choice," said Foxx.
Abdallah was also charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery, aggravated discharge of a firearm, and attempted murder of a police officer.
Abdallahi is a Mauritanian national who was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in San Ysidro, California, on March 31, 2023, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement provided to CNN.
ICE "lodged an immigration detainer with Cook County Jail" on Tuesday, following Abdallahi's arrest, agency spokesperson Erin Bultje disclosed in the statement.
The shooting victim was released from the hospital on Saturday.
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