Hate crimes and terrorism charged against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi for the Chicago murder of a Jewish man in West Rogers Park

CHICAGO (WLS) — Chicago police have filed hate crime and terrorism charges against a man accused of killing a Jewish man on the North Side over the weekend, in addition to 14 other charges he already faces.

Sidi Mohammed Abdullahi, 22, already faces 14 felonies, including attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery and attempted murder of a police officer, after he allegedly shot and killed a Jewish man walking to synagogue on Saturday morning. The victim was wearing a kippah, a traditional Jewish headdress also known as a yarmulke.

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Police said Abdullahi shot him without saying a word. About 30 minutes later, the incident escalated when Abdullahi reportedly opened fire on five first responders. The police returned fire, shooting him several times.

Abdullahi has since been hospitalized in the intensive care unit. CPD soup. Larry Snelling said they were unable to interview him because of his injuries, which delayed filing additional charges, but relied on digital evidence to investigate claims the shooting was a hate crime. Snelling said evidence was found on his phone that the shooting was planned and deliberately targeted at Jews.

“We will never do anything based on beliefs alone. We need proof,” Snelling said. “Evidence from the perpetrator’s phone showed that he planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of the Jewish faith.”

WATCH: Hate Crimes and Terrorism Charges Announced

Speaking alongside police and Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Mayor Brandon Johnson said, “There is absolutely no place for anti-Semitism in Chicago. There is absolutely no place in our city for hatred towards our Jewish community.”

He also thanked Debra Silverstein of the 50th District for her tireless advocacy following the incident.

Fox said her office’s decision to bring terrorism charges underscores the seriousness of the crime and its efforts to “destabilize our communities through fear and hatred.”

Fox, Snelling and Johnson stressed that the additional charges are not the result of public pressure or media attention, but rather the result of an ongoing investigation.

“This was a very important moment for our community because we felt particularly victimized,” said Sarah van Loon of the American Jewish Committee. “It’s time for our communities to come together and get to know each other.”

“The Jewish community can rest assured that we are using every aspect of government to keep them safe,” Mayor Johnson said.

FBI data for 2023 shows that despite Jews making up only about 2% of the U.S. population, anti-Semitic incidents account for more than 15% of all hate crimes nationwide.

The ADL said anti-Semitic incidents in Chicago have increased nearly 300% over the past year compared to last year, adding to the growing fear felt by Jewish families.

Local Jewish groups said they have been in regular communication with the Chicago Police Department since Saturday’s shooting. Police said they do not believe there is any other threat to the community at this time. The 39-year-old victim is expected to recover.

Abdullahi was due to appear in court this week, but his hearing was rescheduled for November 7.

The American Jewish Committee released a statement after additional charges were announced, writing: “Since Saturday, the Chicago Jewish community has been seeking confirmation that authorities are investigating this attack as a hate crime because we were deeply concerned that a member of our community was subjected to cruel treatment.” Given the above, we continue to call for a thorough investigation to bring justice to justice.”

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