Chicago man faces charges after officials say he shot a man walking to synagogue. Here’s what we know

By: CNN

Posted: Oct 30, 2024 9:55 AM EDT

WBBM via CNN Newsource

CHICAGO -- A man is facing 14 felony charges after officials say he shot a man walking to a synagogue and then fired at responding officers during a weekend shootout in Chicago.

The suspect fired several shots at a 39-year-old man Saturday morning on the city’s North Side before firing “at responding officers and paramedics multiple times from various locations,” police say. Officers returned fire, striking the gunman, Chicago police said in a release Monday. No members of the police or fire departments were injured.

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, faces six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated battery with the discharge of a firearm, the release said. It’s unclear if Abdallahi has an attorney. His next court appearance is scheduled for November 7.

The shooting victim was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon, according to Debra Silverstein, the alderman for Chicago’s 50th Ward, where the shooting occurred.

Though Abdallahi has been charged in the shooting, police say the motive is under investigation. Detectives haven’t interviewed Abdallahi because of his injuries, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said in a news conference Monday. Abdallahi’s Tuesday detention hearing was postponed and the court ordered him detained until he can appear, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office said.

The FBI’s Chicago division said it’s working with local, state and federal partners to provide resources and assistance as the investigation continues. The division encouraged the public to reach out to them with any information related to the incident.

“Residents of Illinois deserve to feel safe while walking our neighborhoods’ streets, and we are committed to doing our part to return a sense of calm to the community,” the division said in a statement to CNN.

The victim – a Jewish resident of the neighborhood and member of the same synagogue she attends – was “targeted with violence,” Silverstein said.

“He was shot while walking to synagogue in peaceful observance of the Shabbat. The victim of this senseless violence should have been able to walk safely without fear, as every person in this city should be able to do,” Silverstein said.

She highlighted the community’s concern about the seriousness of the attack, which occurred the day after the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.

Some Jewish leaders have called for hate crime charges in the case amid a tripling of antisemitic incidents in the US in the year following Hamas’ October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, according to preliminary data provided to CNN by the Anti-Defamation League, as threats to Muslims and Arabs have also surged.

“While the motive is still under investigation, the community is rightfully troubled given the nature and timing of the attack,” Silverstein added of the weekend attack in Chicago.

Here’s what we know about the shooting and investigation so far:

How the shooting unfolded

Abdallahi shot the man in the shoulder without saying a word, police said. As officers and paramedics responded to the scene, he allegedly fired multiple shots at them from different locations.

An ambulance was struck by gunfire, but no officers or paramedics were injured, police said. Officers then returned fire, shooting Abdallahi.

“We are thankful that the injuries to the victim that he sustained were non-life-threatening,” Snelling said. “This incident was also a stark reminder of the danger our first responders face because they were also fired upon and luckily weren’t struck.”

Abdallahi said “Allah Akbar” during his encounter with police, authorities told CNN on Tuesday. However, the intention and context of the comment were unclear. Police said he made no comment before or while shooting the victim.

“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,” Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said at the news conference.

Less than 30 minutes after the shooting, the suspect was arrested on Saturday close to the location of the shooting, the release said. A weapon was recovered from the scene, police added.

Silverstein said the victim is “doing OK and his spirits are good.”

Authorities are working “to hold this individual accountable for the violent acts that he carried out,” Snelling said.

“We understand the concerns around this incident, and we’re doing everything we can to ensure that the community is safe, and we want to restore a sense of security for the residents,” Snelling said.

Hate crime charges still a question mark

As some Jewish leaders call for hate crime charges, police say they still need to interview the suspect and collect evidence before considering such charges.

“There’s been a lot of information circulating about the shooting, and we ask that the public not rush to judgment in this situation,” Snelling said Monday. “We’re continuing to investigate based on the facts and evidence available.”

“We don’t just go in and assume that everything is a hate crime, but what we don’t do is rule out the possibility that it could be,” he added.

On Monday, Silverstein said she was upset with the lack of hate crime charges in the case.

“The police have assured me that they are continuing to gather evidence, and additional charges – including hate crime charges – can still be added,” Silverstein said.

Shoshanah Conover, senior rabbi of Temple Sholom, also said the community is frustrated with the lack of hate crime charges.

“While there is frustration over the lack of hate crime charges, most people I’ve spoke to in our community are grateful for the immediate response of the police and the protection they’ve provided as hate crimes have escalated in so many communities,” Conover told CNN Tuesday.

“People who understand the process of a hate crime charge know it sometimes takes time for them to gather enough evidence to make the charges stick. That being said, I hope our community will continue to press them to do a thorough investigation because this certainly feels like a hate crime against an observant Jew walking to synagogue,” Conover added.

The “shooting feels like a hate crime regardless of where the investigation lands,” the Midwest arm of The Anti-Defamation League said in a post on X

More than 10,000 antisemitic incidents occurred between October 7, 2023, and September 2024 – up from 3,325 incidents the prior year. That marks the most incidents recorded in a 12-month period by the organization since it began tracking threats in 1979, as CNN previously reported.

And in April, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said it had received 8,061 reports of anti-Muslim bias in 2023, the highest number in the 28 years the group has tracked hate.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said “all Chicagoans deserve to feel safe and protected across the city,” according to a post on X. “There is more work to be done, and we are committed to diligently improving community safety in every neighborhood.”

US Sen. Dick Durbin called the incident “unacceptable.”

“Antisemitism is on the rise in America, and we must remain laser-focused on rooting it out,” Durbin said on X. “I stand with the Jewish community in Chicago and across the country.”

CNN’s Dalia Faheid, Bill Kirkos, Josh Campbell and Whitney Wild contributed to this report.