Gunman Shoots Jewish Man, Fires At Police As He Shouts 'Allahu Akbar'; Hate Crime Probed

Crime & Safety

Gunman Shoots Jewish Man, Fires At Police As He Shouts 'Allahu Akbar'; Hate Crime Probed The 22-year-old gunman faces 14 charges, but hate crime is not among them as detectives continue to investigate his motive, police said.

CHICAGO — A Jewish man on his way to synagogue was shot Saturday morning in the West Ridge neighborhood in an unprovoked attack by a gunman who later opened fire on arriving police and paramedics, authorities said.

The shooter was recorded on video shouting what sounds like "Allahu Akbar," which means "God is great" in Arabic, before he darted onto a sidewalk to exchange gunfire with police officers, who shot him multiple times.

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, was charged with six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a police officer or firefighter and one count of aggravated battery with a firearm for the man he shot. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he remained hospitalized and had yet to speak with investigators.

"Notably, and despite evidence that seems to suggest an antisemitic motive for the shooting, authorities did not file hate crime charges," said 50th Ald. Deb Silverstein, who attends the same synagogue as the victim.

"I am very disappointed by this turn of events and strongly encourage the Cook County State's Attorney Office to prosecute the offender to the full extent of the law," Silverstein said in a statement. "The police have assured me that they are continuing to gather evidence, and additional charges – including hate crime charges — can still be added."

Abdallahi approached a 39-year-old Orthodox man who was walking in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue around 9:30 a.m. and shot at him, striking him once, officials said.

After police and fire personnel arrived, Abdallahi began shooting from different locations, at one point striking a Chicago Fire Department ambulance, according to police.

"There's been a lot of information circulating about the shooting, and we ask that the public not rush to judgment in this situation," Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference Monday. "We're continuing to investigate based on the facts and evidence available."

Snelling said police would recommend hate crime charges if the evidence supports them.

"We can't speculate on these things right now. We have to have information that backs up those charges," the superintendent said.

"So, we can assume things. We can believe things," he said. "And when you look at everything that's tied around this, I understand why the community feels this way, and they have the right to feel the way they do, because nobody wants to be victimized on their way to church."

Antoinette Ursitti, chief of detectives for Chicago police, acknowledged that Abdallahi made a statement during the shootout with police, though she declined to say whether it was in English.

"The statement that was made while he was engaging our officers is nothing that we could bring in as evidence at this point that would support any motive against his actions towards our officers, as well as towards our victim," Ursitti told reporters.

Video from the scene compiled by the Chicago Sun-Times shows the gunman run toward an officer and roll into a firing position before he is shot and rolls onto his back. After about 30 seconds of apparent incapacitation, he appears to reach for his gun before officers shoot him again.

Besides Silverstein, several other local legislators issued statements about the shooting.

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Evanston) said she was relieved to hear the man who was shot had been released from the hospital.

"I have heard from several of my Jewish constituents who are scared to walk to school or synagogue, go to the grocery store, or wear anything that could convey their Jewish identity," Schakowsky said.

"This cannot become the norm," she said. "With antisemitism on the rise in America, we must recommit ourselves to rooting it out. All Americans deserve to feel safe in this country, and I will not rest until this ancient hatred is cast aside once and for all."

Schakowsky said it was imperative to know the shooter's motive to determine whether a hate crime charge applies.

Under Illinois law, a hate crime is an offense against a person or property motivated by someone's actual or perceived race, religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or other protected status.

It applies to the offenses of assault, battery, aggravated assault, intimidation, stalking, cyberstalking, misdemeanor theft, criminal trespass to residence, misdemeanor criminal damage to property, criminal trespass to vehicle, criminal trespass to real property, mob action, disorderly conduct, transmission of obscene messages, harassment by telephone or harassment through electronic communications — and it ranges from a class 4 felony, the least serious kind, to a class 2 felony.

Currently, Abdallahi faces multiple class X felonies, the most serious kind short of murder and the only other kind that always carries a prison sentence. So, if authorities find evidence of religious motivation, the case could include additional hate crime charges, though they are unlikely to stiffen the punishment.

State Rep. Kevin Olickal (D-Skokie) said he was deeply saddened by the shooting and understood the fear of the Jewish community.

"It is critical that we confront hate in all its forms with full transparency and accountability," Olickal said. "Everyone has the right to live peacefully, and I remain committed to fostering a community where safety, respect, and justice are upheld for all."

Chicago's top cop said police were aware of the tension associated with the ongoing war in the Middle East and the upcoming election, explaining that there was already a heightened police presence in the area.

"We are aware of what's going on in the world right now, and we know how that can affect neighborhoods and communities and people of faith, so we want to make sure that we're paying special attention to all these locations," Snelling said.

"Look, it's not lost on us that there's hate paraphernalia that's been passed around. This happens often," he added. "And when we get that information we take it seriously and we make sure that we have resources in these communities to make sure people are safe."