An illegal migrant from Mauritania, Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, has been charged with hate crime and terrorism for a shooting incident targeting a Jewish man in Chicago last month. The victim, a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man, was shot in the shoulder while on his way to a synagogue in the West Rogers Park neighborhood.
Abdallahi, who had been in the U.S. for at least two years and worked at an Amazon warehouse, was found to have a cell phone containing over 100 antisemitic and pro-Hamas images and videos. Prior to the attack, he had used his phone to search for synagogues and Jewish community centers in the area, indicating premeditation.
Prosecutors revealed that Abdallahi had mapped out several potential targets, including synagogues near the shooting scene, and had searched for a gun store in suburban Lyons. Surveillance footage captured Abdallahi firing at the victim, attempting to clear a jammed pistol, and later shooting at responding law enforcement officers and paramedics.
After a confrontation with police, Abdallahi was shot and hospitalized with multiple gunshot wounds. He faces a total of 16 felony charges, including attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm, aggravated battery with a firearm, terrorism, and a hate crime.
Law enforcement sources disclosed that Abdallahi had entered the U.S. illegally and was previously apprehended in California in 2023 but released into the country. Mauritania, his home country, is classified as a 'special interest alien' by the Department of Homeland Security due to security concerns.
Despite a detainer request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for his transfer to their custody, Cook County's sanctuary policies prevent local authorities from cooperating. The case highlights the challenges posed by illegal immigration and the complexities of enforcing immigration laws in certain jurisdictions.
