West Rogers Park shooting: What we knew about Sidi Muhammad Abdellahi, charged with hate crime after Jewish man was shot in Chicago

CHICAGO (WLS) — New details about the suspect are emerging a shooting that injured an Orthodox Jewish man in West Rogers Park.

The 22-year-old suspect, who is not from Chicago, is now facing hate crime charges.

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Immigration and Customs Enforcement told ABC7 that Sidi Muhammad Abdellahi is the Mauritanian national who U.S. Border Patrol first encountered in the country last year. That’s why federal agencies are now involved in this investigation.

Chicago police announced new terrorism and hate crime charges against Abdellahi on Thursday. They say evidence on his phone shows he intended to attack people of Jewish faith.

Now ICE is involved in the investigation and tells ABC7 it has requested the suspect’s removal, meaning the agency must be notified if he is released.

“We know he’s not from Chicago, but establishing addresses and residency when he got here… all those things are things we continue to work on,” said CPD Supt. Larry Snelling.

Abdellahi has not yet appeared in court because he is in intensive care due to injuries sustained during a shootout with police. That shootout occurred just 20 minutes after he allegedly shot a 39-year-old man near North Washtenaw Avenue.

ICE confirmed that Abdellahi was first found by U.S. Border Patrol in March 2023 near San Ysidro, California.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx said her team is not ready to comment on the suspect’s immigration status.

“It is our intention at the next court hearing, as we did two days ago, to recite the offer in full, including that level of detail. We will make that information available next week,” Foxx said.

While local authorities continue to cooperate with federal agencies in the investigation, Chicago police do not believe there is a broader threat of terrorism at play.

“The evidence we have now says he was working alone. We don’t want anyone to be afraid of a network of people engaged in this activity,” Snelling said.

Abdellahi is due back in court next week while he awaits his condition in hospital.

Additional federal charges could come into play as the investigation continues.