Suspect charged with terrorism and hate crimes in Chicago shooting of Jewish man

He already has numerous charges filed against him in connection with Saturday morning's shooting, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder when police said he opened fire and wounded a 39-year-old Jewish man who was on his way to a synagogue in West Rogers Park was neighborhood.

Police said Abdallahi then fired at police officers and paramedics “several times from different locations” and was taken into custody after being injured in return police fire.

His victim, who was not identified, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

On Thursday, Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling told reporters during a news conference that a search of Abdallahi's smartphone since his arrest had uncovered evidence showing that he “planned this shooting, specifically targeting people of the Jewish faith.” ” have.

Details of what was found on the phone were not released to the press, but authorities said it supported both the federal hate crime charge and the rare terrorism charge filed against the suspect.

“We were able to determine that this person was plotting against this particular community, was seeking out this particular community, was seeking this particular belief, that the efforts to engage in this crime were not spontaneous, they were not simply there.” “It was not so bad at the time, but rather to cause terror,” said Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx, noting that the terrorism charge underscores the seriousness of the alleged crimes.

The shooting sparked fear in Chicago's Jewish community. Mayor Brandon Johnson was criticized by 50th District Councilwoman Debra Silverstein for not initially identifying the victim as “a Jewish man in traditional Jewish clothing walking the Jewish route to a Jewish place of worship” in his initial statement about the crime. identified rest day.”

With Silverstein on stage, Johnson explained that he was working to ensure the safety of the city's Jewish population.

“Our words are not as powerful as my actions,” he said. “And our actions are clear: charges have been brought, the full power of the government is on display, and the Jewish community can be assured that we are using all aspects of government to ensure their safety.”

Abdallahi was scheduled to appear in court for the first time on Tuesday but was unable to appear due to his injuries. He is scheduled to appear in court on November 7 if he is able.

During the press conference, Johnson said that anti-Semitism has no place in his city and that the crime of which Abdallahi is accused was motivated not only by hatred, but specifically by hatred of the Jewish community.

“It's not just despicable, it's evil and as a leader of this city, as a husband, as a father, it grieves me and breaks my heart to know that our Jewish community does not feel safe in our beloved city,” said he said. “This is not just an attack on our beloved Jewish community, it was an attack on us as a city.”

The Anti-Defamation League Midwest released a statement Thursday thanking the Chicago Police Department.

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

“We need a whole-of-society approach to stop the rise of anti-Semitism in Chicago, Illinois and across the country.”