Man Charged In Antisemitic Hate Crime Found Dead In Jail In Apparent Suicide

CHICAGO — The man accused of shooting a Jewish man from behind last month in West Rogers Park in what authorities said was a hate crime and an act of terrorism died in custody from an apparent suicide, authorities said Sunday.

Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, was found unresponsive at the Cermak Health Services division of Cook County Jail at about 3:30 p.m. Saturday during a routine security check, according to the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. Staff attempted life-saving measures before paramedics transported him to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Abdallahi, a Mauritanian national, was facing charges of terrorism, hate crime and six counts of attempted murder, as well as additional firearm charges in connection with the Oct. 26 attack on a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man near the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue.

Authorities said Abdallahi targeted the Jewish community, mapping synagogues and Jewish schools. Prosecutors alleged a search of his phone turned up more than 100 antisemitic images and videos.

The victim, identifiable as Jewish by his yarmulke and prayer as he walked to a synagogue on Sabbath, suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He was treated at a hospital and later released.

Following the initial shooting, Abdallahi fired at first responders, hitting a Chicago Fire Department ambulance, emerging from alleys to trade gunfire with police until he was critically wounded and apprehended.

At a Nov. 22 detention hearing, prosecutors revealed Abdallahi meticulously planned the attack, searching for Jewish sites and purchasing a firearm.

Cook County Circuit Judge Susana Ortiz described the shooting as "a calculated plan on a public street involving someone’s religious affiliation."

It is not clear whether Abdallahi had legal status in the United States at the time of his death. According to his public defender, he had lived in the country for more than two years and was employed by Amazon. But federal immigration officials said Abdallahi had been "encountered by U.S. Border Patrol" in southern California in March 2023.

The sheriff’s office reported there was no prior indication that Abdallahi was a suicide risk.

The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office is conducting an autopsy, and the Illinois State Police Public Integrity Task Force has launched an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

In a message to residents confirming Abdallhi's death, Ald. Deb Silverstein, 50th Ward, thanked the officers who stopped the suspect and worked on the investigation.

"Our neighborhood has been reeling since the shooting in October," Silverstein said. "Hopefully, these new developments will bring a small measure of closure."

Earlier: Antisemitic Shooter Searched For Jewish Sites Before Attempted Murder, Prosecutors Say