A 22-year-old man from Chicago has been charged with 14 felonies after allegedly shooting a 39-year-old Jewish man who was on his way to a local synagogue in the city’s Rogers Park district. The victim was treated in a local hospital for multiple gunshot wounds and has since been discharged. The suspect, identified as Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, also allegedly opened fire on first responders before being apprehended by police, who shot him as well. Despite evidence suggesting an antisemitic motive for the shooting, hate crime charges have not been filed, which has left some community leaders disappointed. The incident has heightened fears among local Jews, including 50th Ward Ald. Debra Silverstein, who attends the same synagogue. Rabbi Shlomo Soroka emphasized the importance of understanding the reality of the experience regardless of hate crime charges. The FBI is working with local authorities to provide resources and assistance in response to the attack, which comes amid rising tensions following attacks on Israel by Hamas militants. Attacks on Jews in the U.S. have tripled in less than a year, while incidents targeting Muslims and Arabs have also increased. The shooting coincidentally occurred six years after the deadliest attack on the Jewish community in U.S. history at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
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Demand for hate crime charge after Jewish man is shot in Chicago
