Suspect faces hate crime, terrorism charges in shooting of Jewish man on Chicago's North Side
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Authorities on Thursday announced terrorism and hate crime charges against the man accused of shooting an Orthodox Jewish man in the West Ridge neighborhood last weekend, and then opening fire on police and paramedics.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, had already faced six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated battery.
On Thursday, Police Supt. Larry Snelling announced Abdallahi also has been charged with one felony count of terrorism and one felony count of a hate crime.
Police said Abdallahi shot a 39-year-old man in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue in the West Ridge, or West Rogers Park, neighborhood around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
After first responders arrived at the scene, the suspect is alleged to have opened fire on them and struck an ambulance. No officers or paramedics were hit.
Chicago police officers returned fire and hit the suspect multiple times. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
"We want everybody to know that we will never tolerate violence that's rooted in hate and bigotry. This shooting is deeply personal to members of our Jewish community. We know that. But this shooting should be personal to everyone across the city," Snelling said.
Earlier this week, police had said there was not sufficient evidence to bring hate crime charges against Abdallahi, but Snelling said further investigation has since determined Abdallahi targeted the victim because of his Jewish faith. The superintendent said it was important for detectives to take their time to confirm the shooting was indeed a hate crime before filing such charges.
"I want to make this clear to everybody in every community. We did not secure these charges because of public pressure, or because of media attention," he said. "Gathering evidence and facts takes time, and we have to do it in a timely fashion so that we don't impede the possibility of getting charges. We will never do things just based on a belief. We need proof."
Snelling said, because Abdallahi is still in the hospital after being shot by police, detectives have been unable to question him, but were able to sift through evidence on his phone indicating he was specifically targeting people of Jewish faith.
Mayor says shooting "clearly was motivated by hatred."
Snelling would not provide details of what was found on Abdallahi's phone, saying that evidence would come out in court. Because Abdallahi remains in the hospital, he has not yet appeared in court to face the charges against him.
The victim, an Orthodox Jewish man, was wearing a kippah while walking to his synagogue at the time of the shooting.
Asked what police have learned about Abdallahi's country of origin, or any criminal background, Snelling said "those things are still under investigation, because we're still working with our federal partners to get more information on this individual."
Mayor Brandon Johnson, who earlier this week had stressed patience regarding the investigation into the motive for the shooting, said Thursday it "clearly was motivated by hatred."
"There is absolutely no place in Chicago for antisemitism. There's no place in our city for hatred directed towards our Jewish community," he said. "Hatred towards our Jewish community, it is not only hideous, it is wicked, and as the leader of this city, as a husband, as a father, it grieves me and it breaks my heart knowing that our Jewish community doesn't feel safe and secure in our beloved city. This is not just an attack against our beloved community of Jewish people, this was an attack against us as a city."
Johnson, who did not mention the victim's religious faith in his first public statement on the shooting, had faced criticism from Silverstein and others for not sooner calling the shooting a hate crime, but has said it would have been irresponsible for him to weigh in on the shooter's motive before police completed their investigation.
"I'm appalled and sickened by the wicked behavior that came from this individual," Johnson said after the hate crime charges were announced.
Snelling also defended the mayor on Thursday, saying police had told him previously that they had yet to prove the shooter's motive.
"We have to be careful when we put ethnicities out there, or religious connections, because if we put something out there that sounds like the only reason that we had for trying to call this a hate crime is that one person was of Muslim faith and the other person was of Jewish faith, that would be irresponsible of us if we don't have the proof to back that up. That's why we continued to work toward gathering the information to get that done," he said.
Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx called the shooting an "utterly senseless act of violence."
"These charges reflect our unwavering commitment to justice and our determination to confront acts of hate and violence. When an individual targets someone based on their faith, their ethnicity, or their identity, it goes beyond an attack of a single person. It becomes an attack on the entire community," she said.
Foxx said terrorism charges are rare, but warranted in this case.
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th), in whose ward the shooting happened, and who is the only Jewish member of the Chicago City Council, was among several Jewish leaders who had been pushing for hate crime charges in the shooting. She applauded police and prosecutors for bringing those additional charges on Thursday.
Silverstein also thanked her community for their patience as police investigated the motive for the shooting.
"I know that public safety is our highest concern, and I give my community my word that I will continue to advocate for the safety of everyone in my community, and I will work together with our friends in the Police Department to make sure that they stay safe," she said.
Silverstein said she has also been reassured that there will be increased police patrols Friday night during Shabbat.
Silverstein has said she and the victim belong to the same congregation. She said she visited with the victim on Saturday night after he was released from the hospital, and he is doing "OK."
The alderwoman has attended rallies, and called out Mayor Johnson for his initial comments on the shooting in which he failed to mention that the victim was Jewish.
"I think he should have said he was Jewish," said Silverstein. "I think it's important his identity is acknowledged."
On Thursday, Mayor Johnson said: "My words are not as powerful as my actions, and our actions are clear. Charges have been brought."
Abdallahi remained in the hospital on Thursday, but police did not have an update on his condition.
According to a CBS News Data Team analysis of Chicago Police hate crimes data, the West Ridge community has recorded a dozen anti-Jewish hate crimes so far this year, including two assaults, a bomb threat, and vandalism to property and a car.
Anti-Jewish hate crimes rose sharply in Chicago overall this year, with 70 documented incidents, a 46% increase over last year's high of 48, with two months left to go in 2024.
"We were definitely relieved to hear tonight that both hate crime and terrorism charges were added to the investigation," said Sarah van Loon, Chicago regional director for the American Jewish Committee. "We thought this was a huge step forward."
Van Loon said the shooting is a reminder of the threats currently facing the Jewish community.
"It's definitely been a tough week for the Jewish community," she said, "and I think as we approach Shabbat, and we head into another weekend of services, I would be lying if any of us weren't thinking twice about that, or thinking about our additional safety as we head to synagogue."