Following an attack on an Orthodox Jewish man and gunfire directed toward arriving police and paramedics, a Chicago man is being charged with attempted murder and hate crime. Before the event that happened in West Ridge, close to a synagogue a block from the scene of the attack, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi used his cellphone to map out a number of nearby synagogues and Jewish institutions, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Assistant State’s Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers characterized the crime as an attempt to kill these individuals during the hearing on Friday. Surveillance footage of Abdallahi’s actions showed a sinister trajectory: he shot the victim, fled, then returned to the site and opened fire on the police. The attack, which tragically occurred on the morning of October 26 and appears to have been well planned, was caught on camera as Abdallahi shot the Jewish man and then went after first responders, including two paramedics and four police officers.
After being in the United States for at least two years, Abdallahi was hospitalized after being wounded numerous times during a shootout with police. Rodgers listed more than 100 pro-Hamas and antisemitic photos and videos on Abdallahi’s phone as part of the evidence against him. The Jewish Community Center and a weapons store were also listed in his search history.
Additionally, according to NBC Chicago, authorities claim that Abdallahi’s confiscated cell phone showed premeditation and a concerning concentration on Jewish institutions, since it had extensive searches for synagogues, a Jewish community center, and a shooting range. The Congregation Ezras Israel and KAM Isaiah Israel Congregation were among the synagogue addresses he had stored on Google Maps. The post-shooting video shows a terrifying series of incidents in which Abdallahi’s gunshots targeted paramedics and police officers. Despite falling into the sidewalk, the shooter sat up and kept shooting at the officers.
Abdallahi has been placed under detention by Judge Susana Ortiz on several counts of terrorism, hate crimes, and attempted murder. Josh Thigpen, the public defender, brought up Abdallahi’s prior work experience at an Amazon warehouse. The targeted nature of the murder has raised new concerns about public safety and the battle against hate crimes in Chicago, even as the case’s specifics are still being worked out.
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