After an Orthodox Jewish man was shot in Chicago's Rogers Park last weekend as he walked to a synagogue on Shabbat, the media quickly gathered and disseminated information about the victim's background. The media was also the first to confirm that the suspect, 22-year-old Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, was a Mauritanian national living in the United States illegally.
After the attack, concerns grew within Chicago's Jewish community about the lack of information from Chicago police and Mayor Brandon Johnson, but it took five minutes to acknowledge the religious background of Abdallahi's Jewish victims. It took a day. Police also did not tell the public what Abdallahi shouted as he fired at the officers, and declined to confirm the contents of the circulating Ring camera footage, but said it “said something.” admitted.
Richard Goldberg, senior adviser at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital: “There is an obvious cover-up going on to shut down the flow of information before next week's election. “I knew from the moment of the investigation that I was in a position.” I ran his ID. ”
“This should be a national scandal,” Goldberg added.
Calls grow for illegal immigrants to be charged with hate crimes after Jewish man's shooting death
Police are investigating a shooting that occurred in Chicago's Westridge neighborhood on October 26, 2024. (Fox32 Chicago)
Abdallahi's address listed in a police news release is 43 miles away from Rogers Park. Goldberg noted that he had traveled a significant distance for the alleged attack.
The suspect's alleged anti-Semitic motives then became a prominent theme at a press conference on October 31st, when Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling announced the long-awaited additional felony charges against Abdallahi for hate crimes and terrorism. A total of 16 charges were filed against him.
“We did not secure these charges through public pressure or media attention,” Snelling told reporters. “Gathering evidence and facts takes time,” Snelling said, explaining that detectives were unable to interview Abdallahi, who was shot and killed by police and remains hospitalized. Evidence left on the suspect's cell phone “indicates that the suspect planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of the Jewish faith.”
Chicago officials did not provide details about Mr. Abdallahi's immigration status at a news conference. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) spokeswoman Erin Burche confirmed to Fox News Digital that Abdallahi was arrested while entering the country near San Ysidro in March and later released in the United States. .
“It's clear what happened here,” said Goldberg, a former NSC official in the Trump administration. “An act of terrorism occurred by a person who entered the country illegally and was allowed to remain under the Biden-Harris policy. And a second Democratic official realized that it could affect the presidential election and panicked. But the Jewish community fought back. ”
Illegal immigrant shot to death of Jewish man in illegal city
Chicago Police Chief Larry Snelling announced terrorism and hate crime charges against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi after Abdallahi allegedly shot and killed an Orthodox Jewish man. (WFLD)
Just two months ago, Canadian authorities arrested a 20-year-old Pakistani man who planned an attack on a Jewish community in Brooklyn, New York.
During Thursday's press conference, WGN journalists addressed ICE's confirmation of Abdallahi's Mauritanian citizenship and asked whether State Attorney Kim Foxx intends to comply with Abdallahi's ICE custody filing at the Cook County Jail. .
“What we're doing today is announcing charges,” Fox responded. “We will be able to review the information you have when we make a full-fledged offer next week.” Suspects are “presumed innocent until proven guilty” and “will not appear before a judge.” “I'm not going to give him a level of specificity that hasn't been given to him,” Fox said. ”
Pat Brady, a former federal and state attorney for Illinois, acknowledged to Fox News Digital that it is “not uncommon for details to be withheld until formal arraignment.”
Malka Reich, a stay-at-home mom who reportedly witnessed part of the attack, which took place in her front yard, told Fox News that Ring camera footage of the incident, filmed in her home, has been widely shared. He told News Digital that he believes “an incident has occurred.” The mayor and likely federal officials are trying to hide key elements of the hate crime.
Illegal immigrant faces hate crime, terrorism charges in Chicago shooting death of Jewish man
The victim, described by the Jewish Unity Fund as a “member of the Jewish community,” was reportedly shot in the shoulder in Chicago. (Fox32 Chicago)
At Thursday's press conference, Mr Johnson was asked why he had not disclosed the victim's religious background in previous statements. Mr Johnson was widely criticized for sending his “heartfelt thoughts and prayers” to the victims without explaining that he was Jewish.
Rather than answer questions, Johnson explained, “My responsibility as the mayor of Chicago is to keep all of our communities safe, and I take that responsibility seriously.” Mr Johnson added: “Terrorism seeks to incite, inflame and make people feel isolated and alone. But the Jewish community is not alone. We are, as always, our Jewish brothers and sisters. “I am taking a resolute stance,” he added.
Johnson has previously been accused of fostering an anti-Semitic environment in Chicago, including by overwhelmingly supporting a January cease-fire resolution passed by the City Council.
According to the Chicago Police Department's hate crimes dashboard, there will be 71 anti-Semitic hate crimes in the city in 2024, up from 50 in 2023 and 39 in 2022.
Among the many Jewish Chicagoans who were dissatisfied with the initial response to Saturday's shooting was Councilwoman Debra Debra, who gave an interview to Fox News Digital before Abdallahi's hate crime charges were announced. Mr. Silverstein was also there. Mr. Silverstein expressed the sentiment in Chicago's Jewish community that “City Hall is not on our side.”
Silverstein is also concerned about anti-Semitism in Chicago public schools. After the Chicago City Council passed a cease-fire resolution, students staged a pro-Palestinian strike, during which Silverstein said some Chicago students were “told not to wear blue and white.” The school said, “We weren't sure if we would let him wear it.'' To protect them. ”
Amid the dispute over the facts of the Abdallahi shooting, Jewish Insider reported that the new Chicago Board of Education chairman, the Rev. Mitchell Johnson, had been “making inflammatory anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, and pro-Hamas posts. It has a long history.” Content on social media. ”
Silverstein said he immediately rallied about 40 aldermen and city employees to call for Johnson's resignation. By Oct. 31, the mayor had called for and accepted Johnson's resignation, calling the pastor's comments “not only hurtful, but deeply disturbing.” “Anti-Semitic, misogynistic and conspiracy-theoretic statements are unacceptable,” the mayor said.
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Silverstein said he was “glad that (Rev. Johnson) resigned,” but added, “He should never have been appointed in the first place. My question is, who was vetted in the first place and how? But I'm worried now.” Also about the other members and their vetting process. ”
Fox News Digital repeatedly contacted Mayor Johnson and Gov. J.B. Pritzker for comment and clarification on the religion of the shooting victims, Chicago's anti-Semitic climate, and other developments in the Abdallahi case. Neither office responded.
Chicago Police Department responded to questions about the shooter and referred Fox News Digital to an earlier news release.
