Suspect charged after shooting man walking to synagogue, sparking shootout with police in West Ridge

A Far South Side man is accused of following and shooting a man walking to the synagogue and then opening fire on police and paramedics, sparking a gunfire Saturday morning in West Ridge.

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, was charged with six counts of attempted murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and aggravated battery, police said.

A motive remained unclear the attack happened around 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenueand left the victim in critical condition after officers shot him, police said.

Councilwoman Debra Silverstein (50th) told the Sun-Times that the shooting victim was a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man who was on his way to the service.

“Remarkably, and despite evidence suggesting an anti-Semitic motive for the shooting, authorities did not file hate crime charges,” Silverstein said in a statement. “I am deeply disappointed by this turn of events and strongly encourage the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office to prosecute the perpetrator to the full extent of the law. Police have assured me that they are continuing to gather evidence, and that additional charges – including hate crime charges – could still be added…,” Silverstein said.

Silverstein added that the victim, who declined to speak for an interview with the Sun-Times, was doing well and that she had already met him. Silverstein said the event has been harmful to the West Ridge community, which is disproportionately Jewish.

“The Jewish community is always on high alert, and this only increases our concern,” Silverstein said.

The 39-year-old victim was walking in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue around 9:30 a.m. when a 23-year-old man following him opened fire, hitting the victim in the shoulder, police said.

As paramedics provided aid to the victim and officers investigated the scene, the gunman emerged from an alley and fired shots at the officers, hitting a Chicago Fire Department ambulance, police said.

The gunman continued to shoot at officers multiple times from different locations as officers returned fire. He was shot multiple times, then taken into custody and transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was listed in critical condition, police said.

Abdallahi, of the Roseland neighborhood, was scheduled for a detention hearing Tuesday.

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