Hate Crime Charges Added After Chicago Shooting

In Chicago, a young man named Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, from Mauritania, was hit with additional hate crime and terrorism charges. This followed an incident where he allegedly shot a Jewish man walking to synagogue. The shooting took place in the city's West Ridge neighborhood last Saturday morning. Abdallahi was initially charged with attempted murder and other counts. However, authorities recently added hate crime charges due to evidence indicating he targeted the man because of his faith. Just before the shootout with police, Abdallahi reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar. " He was critically injured in the crossfire, which also involved medics. The Jewish victim did not suffer life-threatening injuries, and no first responders were hurt. Abdallahi remains hospitalized as of Thursday. Superintendent Larry Snelling of the Windy City Police said investigators needed time to confirm the hate crime nature of the incident. They found evidence on Abdallahi’s phone showing he intended to target Jewish community members. Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx noted that terrorism charges are rare. Mayor Brandon Johnson condemned the antisemitism, stating there's no place for hate in Chicago. Abdallahi entered San Diego in March 2023 and was screened by border agents before being released.