Hate crime, terrorism charges filed in shooting of Jewish man in Chicago

The suspect accused of shooting a Jewish man in Chicago, and then opening fire on responding police officers, has been hit with a hate crime charge and a count of felony terrorism.

Sidi Mohamed Abdullahi is also facing another 14 felony counts — including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery, and attempted murder of a police officer — in connection with the weekend violence on the city’s Far North Side. Police said the 39-year-old victim was headed toward a synagogue in the area when Abdullahi approached him from behind on Saturday around 9 a.m.

Without saying a word, the suspect fired off several shots, striking the victim in the shoulder, per a press release from Chicago Police. He was taken to an area hospital for treatment and has since been released.

Ald. Debra Silverstein, of the city’s 50th Ward, previously said the victim was wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish head covering also known as a yarmulke, at the time of the attack. She further noted the community where the shooting occurred, West Rogers Park, has a large Orthodox Jewish population.

The gunman then started shooting “at responding officers and paramedics multiple times from various locations,” police said. It prompted a gunfire exchange during which Abdullahi was shot several times. He was taken to Ascension Saint Francis Hospital in critical condition, police said.

“We want everybody to know that we will never tolerate violence that’s rooted in hate and bigotry,” Supt. Larry Snelling said during a press conference on Thursday.

Chicago’s top cop also told reporters that Abdullahi has been hospitalized since the incident, leaving authorities unable to interview him. Instead, investigators have been forced to rely on digital evidence to build their case.

In announcing the charges, Snelling cited evidence found on the suspect’s phone that “indicated he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of Jewish faith,” Snelling said.

“There must be sufficient evidence to support hate crimes and terrorism charges and it was important we took our time to thoroughly investigate and confirm that this was indeed a crime of that nature,” he added. “We will never go out in public, make statements, allegations, accusations or attempt to bring charges without any proof of what we’re attempting to charge someone for.”