Immigration officials confirmed Thursday that the man suspected of shooting a Jewish man as he walked to a temple in Chicago crossed into the United States illegally 18 months ago.
The Chicago Police Department charged Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, with 14 felonies after he allegedly shot the victim multiple times in the Rogers Park area of the city on Saturday: six counts of attempted murder in the first degree, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm towards a police office and one count of aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm.
The neighborhood is home to around 20,000 Jewish people.
Abdallahi was initially reported as an illegal immigrant, but officials told Newsweek Tuesday that no contact had been made with him. That same day, however, his status was confirmed when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers lodged a detainer with the Cook County Jail.
“Mohamed Abdallahi was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol on March 31, 2023, near San Ysidro, California,” a spokesperson confirmed to Newsweek Thursday, adding that the suspect was a Mauritian national.
ICE’s detainer on Abdallahi means that the agency will seek to take custody of him once he is released from local custody, whether he has been bailed out or has served his sentence.
Some witnesses to the shooting claim that the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar,” the Arabic phrase meaning “God is greater,” as he fired his weapon at the victim’s back, according to local media reports. That has left community leaders with questions as to why police had not filed hate crime charges.
“Saturday’s shooting of an Orthodox community member walking to Shabbat services was the realization of the worse fear held by many, and that is not OK,” David Goldenberg, Midwest regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, said Tuesday, adding that Chicago’s leaders needed to act to help Jewish residents to feel safe.
Chicago Police Department officers respond to an incident on March 29, 2022. The CPD charged a Mauritian national with multiple felony counts, after a Jewish man was shot on October 26.
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Calls have continued for hate crime charges over the following days, but the Chicago Police Department has yet to announce any. Superintendent Larry Snelling said at a press conference on Monday that the investigation was still underway.
The Chicago Jewish Alliance urged its followers to contact local leaders Wednesday.
“We cannot stay silent. Join us in urging our aldermen, mayor, and prosecutor to call out this act of hate for what it is—a crime against our community,” the organization posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Let’s fill their inboxes with letters, showing our city leaders that we demand justice and accountability. Your voice matters; make it heard.”
Mayor Brandon Johnson, who had not initially commented on the incident, posted on X later Tuesday evening.
“Our heartfelt thoughts and prayers are with the victim and his loved ones from this weekend’s shooting incident that took place in Rogers Park,” he said. “All Chicagoans deserve to feel safe and protected across the city.
“There is more work to be done, and we are committed to diligently improving community safety in every neighborhood.”
