Suspect charged with shooting man, shooting at Chicago police officers, paramedics
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The suspect whom Chicago police shot and critically wounded on the city's North Side on Saturday after he allegedly shot a man and then opened fire on police and paramedics was charged with attempted first-degree murder.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, faces six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and aggravated battery.
Police said the suspect shot a 39-year-old man in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue in the West Ridge, or West Rogers Park, neighborhood around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
After first responders arrived at the scene, the suspect is alleged to have opened fire on them and struck an ambulance. No officers or paramedics were hit.
Chicago police officers returned fire and hit the suspect multiple times. Police recovered a weapon at the scene.
A barrage of bullets captured on home surveillance video showed the intensity of the gunfire between police and Abdallahi.
Abdallahi was arrested and taken to an area hospital, initially reported in critical condition. Police did not have an update as to his condition on Monday.
Abraham Trachtman, a resident in the West Ridge area, told CBS News Chicago he feared the initial shooting of the 39-year-old victim was a hate crime because the victim was a Jewish man who was walking to a local synagogue Saturday morning. Trachtman noted there is a large Orthodox Jewish population in the area.
Chicago police have not said whether the shooting appeared to be a hate crime. The suspect was not charged with committing a hate crime.
Ald. Debra Silverstein (50th) echoed concerns that community members had about the shooting.
"A man wearing the kippah and walking to synagogue was shot," Silverstein said.
Silverstein said she would like to see hate crime charges filed against the suspect.
"The victim of this senseless violence should have been able to walk safely without fear as every person in this city should be able to do," Silverstein said at a news conference on Monday.
Silverstein said she and the victim belong to the same congregation. She said she visited with the victim on Saturday night after he was released from the hospital, and he is doing "OK."
Neighbors and members of the Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday morning that the shooting has rocked the close-knit Jewish community on the North Side.
"It is not realistic or fair to expect us to simply shrug off this incident as something isolated, and there are also legitimate questions around the situation that remain unanswered," said Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs at Agudath Israel of Illinois.
David Goldenberg, Midwest regional director at the Anti-Defamation League, said the shooting "feels like a hate crime regardless of where the investigation lands."
"Chicago's Jewish community has been rocked, and Saturday's shooting is just the latest our community has been forced to overcome."
Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling said detectives had not been able to determine a motive for the initial shooting, because they haven't had had the chance to interview the suspect due to his injuries. Snelling didn't rule out the possibility of additional charges, but said the investigation is continuing. Chicago police said the suspect remained hospitalized on Monday after being shot.
When asked what the suspect said while exchanging gunfire with the officers,
While the suspect could be heard shouting something at police on surveillance video footage, Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Antoinette Ursitti said that's not enough evidence to determine a motive.
"The statement was made when he was engaging our officers is nothing that we could bring in as evidence at this point that would support any motive against his actions towards our officers, as well as towards our victim," Ursitti said.
Police late Monday said they were still trying to determine if Abdallahi was a Chicago resident.
Abdallahi was scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday.
The Civilian Office of Police Accountability is investigating the police shooting of the suspect. Officers who were involved in that shooting will be placed on routine administrative duties for at least 30 days.
