A gunman shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he opened fire on a Jewish man walking to a synagogue in Chicago, sparking a shocking shootout with police on a quiet residential street.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, originally from Mauritania, was arrested on Saturday after opening fire on the victim as she walked to a local synagogue, hitting her in the shoulder.
When officers arrived at the scene, Abdallahi exchanged a wave of gunfire with police that only ended when the shooter was shot multiple times. No officers were injured.
After Abdallahi’s arrest, law enforcement sources told the New York Post that he was an illegal immigrant who arrived from West Africa in March 2023.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, seen on home security footage, shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ as he exchanged a wave of gunfire with police in Chicago after randomly shooting a Jewish man.
Officers seen at the scene after the shooting, where Abdallahi was hit several times.
When Abdallahi crossed the southern border last year, sources said he was examined by border agents before being released into the United States.
Jewish leaders say they believe Abdallahi’s attack was anti-Semitic in nature and took place in the city’s West Ridge neighborhood, where several synagogues are located.
The victim, a 39-year-old Jewish man whose name has not been identified, was attacked Saturday morning while walking to a synagogue while wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish head covering.
He was hit in the shoulder but survived, and police and paramedics rushed to the scene and found Abdallahi still holding his gun in the street.
A terrifying shootout with police quickly ensued as Abdallahi reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, with footage showing a large number of bullets being fired into the quiet street.
Footage later showed the 22-year-old being taken from the scene on a stretcher after being shot several times. He was hospitalized and his first detention hearing on Tuesday was postponed for a week while he was still recovering in the ICU.
Footage later showed the 22-year-old being taken from the scene on a stretcher after being shot several times.
Jewish leaders say they believe the incident was a targeted anti-Semitic attack, the shooting took place in an area where many synagogues are located and the victim was wearing a kippah at the time.
Although Abdallahi now faces charges including attempted first-degree murder, local leaders in Chicago have criticized law enforcement because they argue Abdallahi should be charged with a hate crime.
‘We have faith in God, but we are afraid for ourselves; “This shooting a few days ago was not just another act of violence,” said Rabbi Levi Mostofsky, executive director of the Rabbinical Council of Chicago.
‘It wasn’t just another shooting on the streets of Chicago. When a visibly Jewish individual in an otherwise pleasant neighborhood is shot unprovoked on his way to synagogue, we are terrified.’
David Goldenberg, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League Midwest, also called on Chicago police to “conduct a thorough investigation into the motives for these heinous crimes and for charges to be added as appropriate.”
‘Saturday’s crime seems like a hate crime. Regardless of where the investigation lands, Chicago’s Jewish community has been shaken. And Saturday’s shooting is just the latest,” Goldenberg said.
David Goldenberg, regional director of the Midwest Anti-Defamation League, led the Jewish community’s outrage by calling for Abdallahi to face hate crime charges.
“The reason the CPD knows the Jewish community so well is because they have to know them because of the heightened threat that the Jewish community faces, day in and day out.”
Calls for the 22-year-old to be charged with a hate crime reached Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who said in a statement that he was “deeply concerned” about the shooting and that “the shooter’s motivation deserves scrutiny.” “. full and thorough examination to determine whether this should also be charged as a hate crime.’
When Abdallahi was detained at the border last year, authorities found no criminal or terrorist links, sources told the New York Post.
Abdallahi told agents he was going to live with a friend in Indiana, and although he initially said he was not afraid of being returned to Mauritania, he later requested asylum, the outlet said.