Chicago suspect faces terrorism and hate crime charges after shooting near synagogue. Here's what we know

CNN
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Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi faces new charges of terrorism and hate crimes after a shooting near a synagogue in Chicago. This is a disturbing incident that underscores the alarming rise in anti-Semitism and hate crimes in the United States.

The shooting came amid growing fears about the safety of Jewish communities. Abdallahi allegedly shot a Jewish man walking to a synagogue before opening fire on responding officers over the weekend.

Abdallahi remained hospitalized after a shootout with police, meaning authorities were unable to question him. Instead, they used digital evidence to build their case, Chicago Police Department Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a news conference Thursday.

Here's what we know:

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx emphasized the rarity of terrorism charges and noted that the allegations against Abdallahi reflect the seriousness of the crime.

“This indictment sends a clear message: All actions intended to destabilize our communities through fear and hate will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Foxx said. “The efforts to take part in this crime were not a spontaneous act, they were not just for excitement at the time, but to spread terror.”

According to the news release, Abdallahi is also charged with six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one count of aggravated assault with a firearm. His next court date is scheduled for November 7th.

Superintendent Snelling emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation to ensure the new charges are justified and assured that the decision to pursue these charges was not influenced by public pressure or media scrutiny.

Investigators were searching through digital evidence, including evidence from Abdallahi's phone, that suggested he targeted people of the Jewish faith, Snelling said, without giving further details.

Investigators found no evidence that Abdallahi was part of a larger group and reassured the public that authorities do not want residents to fear a potential network of people involved in such acts.

“There must be enough evidence to support allegations of hate crimes and terrorism, and it was important that we took the time to conduct thorough investigations and confirm that this was indeed a crime of this nature,” Snelling said.

“We will never go public, make statements, make allegations or attempt to press charges without having evidence of what we want to incriminate someone for.”

Investigation results and official answers

Abdallahi, 22, is accused of opening fire on a 39-year-old Jewish man on Chicago's North Side on Saturday morning before firing “several times at emergency responders and paramedics from different locations,” police said.

In response, officers returned fire, striking the suspect and preventing further injury, as detailed in a statement from the Chicago Police Department on Monday. No police or firefighters were injured, although Abdallahi remains hospitalized.

Abdallahi, a citizen of Mauritania in West Africa, encountered U.S. Border Patrol in San Ysidro, California, on March 31, 2023, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement statement released Thursday.

Following Abdallahi's arrest, ICE “placed an immigration detainee in the Cook County Jail” on Tuesday, agency spokeswoman Erin Bultje said. ICE did not provide further details about Abdallahi's immigration status.

Increase in anti-Semitism and hate crimes

In October, the Anti-Defamation League reported that anti-Semitic incidents in the United States reached a record high in the year following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The latest data, ranging from that day to September 24, shows almost three times as many incidents as last year, with more than 10,000 anti-Semitic incidents recorded. The majority – 8,015 – were classified as verbal or written harassment, while the remainder included vandalism and physical assault.

In September, the FBI released its hate crime statistics from last year, showing that there were 11,862 hate crime incidents involving 13,829 crimes recorded in the United States, 22.5% of which were religiously motivated.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced the Countering Antisemitism Act to strengthen federal efforts against anti-Semitism. The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada and Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, would allow the president to appoint a federal coordinator to manage domestic initiatives, among other things.

The victim was hospitalized after the shooting but has since been released, said Debra Silverstein, the councilwoman for Chicago's 50th Ward, where the shooting occurred.

“Thankfully this victim did not suffer any life-threatening injuries. We know this is something he will have to deal with for the rest of his life,” Snelling said.

Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the attack, saying hate has no place in Chicago and describing anti-Semitism as “vile” and “vicious.”

“This is not just an attack on our beloved Jewish community, it was an attack on us as a city,” Johnson said. “Anti-Semitism in Chicago does not reflect the soul of Chicago. And everyone in our city deserves to feel safe, and no one in our city should be attacked because of their faith, religion or identity.”

The Midwest branch of the Anti-Defamation League said in a statement shared on social media Thursday that “the charges appropriately reflect the seriousness of the shooting.”

“We must all focus our attention on supporting the victim and the Jewish community of West Rogers Park as they recover from this heinous act,” the statement said.

CNN's Cindy Von Quednow and Whitney Wild contributed to this report.