Following the heinous shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man as he was making his way to synagogue in Chicago on Saturday morning, Agudath Israel of Illinois (AIOI) hosted a press conference calling upon the appropriate parties to address community concerns, to be transparent, and to prosecute the offender to the fullest extent.
AIOI sought to highlight that the attack once again demonstrated that Orthodox Jews are significantly more vulnerable to antisemitic violence. The Chicago Rabbinical Council and ADL (Anti-Defamation League) Midwest along with other Jewish organizations participated in the press conference as well.
AIOI’s director of government affairs, Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, explained that members of the Orthodox Jewish community, who are visibly Jewish and generally live in concentrated areas to be within walking distance of their synagogues, are the most vulnerable to attacks, especially while walking to their places of worship. What transpired this past Shabbat, he said, was a realization of the community’s worst fears, and something AIOI and others have been warning of for years.
In addressing the fact that hate crime charges were not among the numerous other charges filed against the offender, Rabbi Soroka said, “Are we disappointed that hate crime charges weren’t filed? Yes, but we also understand that the investigation is ongoing and that there can be additional charges tacked on later. Which means we will be watching the State’s Attorney’s office closely as time goes on. There is no room whatsoever for political considerations. And while we also understand there are legalities and hate crimes aren’t easily prosecuted, we expect every effort is made to prosecute a hate crime for what it is.”
He also noted that it is important to understand that whether or not this is prosecuted as a hate crime, that is an irrelevant technicality in terms of how the community is experiencing what transpired.
“We just experienced an act of violence that strikes at the heart of our communal family. We, as a community, celebrate joyous occasions together, we mourn tragedies together, and we will fight for our safety together. And that is why we are here today,” said Rabbi Soroka.
The suspect, who has been identified as 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi and is reportedly an illegal alien from Mauritania who was previously caught and released in the US Border Patrol's San Diego sector, was charged with six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and a count of aggravated battery.
Police said that Abdallahi initially shot the 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man around 9:30 a.m. in the West Ridge neighborhood, also known as West Rogers Park.
Upon arrival, first responders were reportedly targeted by gunfire from Abdallahi, who struck an ambulance during the incident. No officers or paramedics were injured in the exchange.
Police returned fire, hitting Abdallahi multiple times. A weapon was recovered at the scene, and video from a nearby surveillance camera captured the intensity of the gunfire between police and the suspect.
Abdallahi was taken into custody and transported to a nearby hospital, initially reported to be in critical condition. As of Monday, his current condition was unknown.
A video which circulated on social media, apparently from a doorbell camera, suggested the shooter may have said “Allahu akbar” as he engaged in a gun battle with police officers, but the police have yet to confirm that.