Gunman Shoots Jewish Man Headed to Synagogue in US City, Shouts 'Allahu Akbar'
A Jewish man was shot multiple times over the weekend while he was on his way to synagogue in Chicago.
The gunman also opened fire on first responders and reportedly screamed "Allahu akbar" when confronted by police. A suspect in the shooting has been identified as 22-year-old Sidi Mohammed Abdullahi.
Abdullahi is charged with 14 felony courts and was expected to make a court appearance Tuesday despite being shot multiple times.
The Chicago Police Department reports a 39-year-old man was walking in West Rogers Park Saturday morning "when an armed offender approached from behind and fired shots at the victim, striking the victim in the shoulder."
"Responding officers responded to the scene, and as they were on the scene, at about 9:55, the offender reemerged from an alley and fired shots at the officers and at the responding paramedics," Deputy Police Chief Kevin Bruno said during a press conference. "Over the next two-and-a-half minutes, the offender emerged from various locations and exchanged shots with the officers."
Leaders from the Jewish community tell ABC News that they are frightened and disturbed by what took place over the weekend.
"A man wearing the kippah as he walked to synagogue was shot and this has just escalated our anxieties," said 50th Ward Ald. Debra Silverstein, who attends the same synagogue.
"As a community, we are scared," said Rabbi Levi Mostofsky, executive director of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. "As a community of faith, we have faith in God. But we are scared. For us, this shooting three days ago was not just another act of violence. 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 terrorized."
Local Jewish organizations have called for Abdullahi to be charged with hate crimes, but police say they are still investigating the motive.
As CBN News has reported, Jewish Americans make up just 3% of the population, but they continue to top the FBI's list of targeted groups, with antisemitic incidents rising by more than 300% since Oct. 7, 2023.
"Are we disappointed that hate crime charges weren't filed? Yeah, obviously, we are," Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs for Agudah, told ABC News. "But we also understand that the investigation is ongoing and that there can be additional charges tacked on later. Which means that we will be watching the state attorney's office closely as time goes on."
Rogers Park is home to about 20,000 Jewish people, Newsweek reports.
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