Jewish community leaders in Chicago are calling for hate crime charges against a suspect accused of shooting a man who was walking to a synagogue before firing at police and emergency responders.

Police said Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, of Chicago, approached a 39-year-old man who was wearing a kippah head covering and shot him in the shoulder Saturday morning in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, north of the city’s downtown area.

As officers and paramedics arrived at the scene, Abdallahi fired multiple shots toward them, striking only an ambulance, police said. Officers fired back and struck Abdallahi, then rendered aid; he was taken to a hospital, where he remained as of Monday. The victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening, and he has been discharged from a local hospital, police said.

The Chicago Police Department announced charges against Abdallahi, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward a police officer or firefighter, and one count of aggravated battery with a discharge of a firearm. It was unclear whether Abdallahi had a lawyer.

Larry Snelling, superintendent of the Chicago Police Department, said Monday that detectives were investigating a possible motive as well as Abdallahi’s background. He asked for the community’s patience as the investigation progresses.

“We understand the concern around this incident, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that the community is safe,” he said. “There’s been a lot of information circulating about the shooting, and we ask that the public not rush to judgment in this situation.”

The police department referred questions about possible hate crime charges to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office in an email to YSL News. The prosecutor’s office said the case was in court on Tuesday but the suspect did not appear because he was in the hospital. The hearing was continued, and the court ordered Abdallahi to remain in custody. The next hearing is scheduled for Nov. 7.

“We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners as the investigation continues,” the statement said. “As this matter is pending litigation, we are unable to further comment.”

The FBI said in a statement that its Chicago division was aware of the shooting and was working with local and state agencies “to provide critical resources and assistance as we learn more.”

Jewish leaders disappointed hate crime charges have not been filed

Alderwoman Debra Silverstein, a member of the Chicago City Council who attends the same synagogue as the victim, said she would like to see hate crime charges filed, and the incident “has shaken my community to its core.”

“I am concerned by the lack of hate crime charges in this case,” Silverstein said at a news conference Monday. “While the motive is still under investigation, the community is rightfully troubled given the nature and timing of the attack.”

Rabbi Shlomo Soroka, director of government affairs for the Orthodox Jewish organization Agudath Israel of America, said he was disappointed hate crime charges were not filed, but he said he understands additional charges may come later.

“We just experienced an act of violence that strikes at the heart of our communal family,” he said at a news conference at a Chicago-area synagogue Tuesday.

“As a community, we are scared,” Rabbi Levi Mostofsky, executive director of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, said at the same event. “When a visibly Jewish individual in an otherwise placid neighborhood is shot unprovoked on his way to synagogue, we are terrorized.”

Shooting occurs amid spike in incidents targeting Jews

In the year since the deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants, antisemitic incidents in the U.S., including harassments, vandalism and physical assault, have surged, according to the Anti-Defamation League. There has also been a spike in reports of anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian incidents, according to the Council on American–Islamic Relations.

The rise in such incidents have put all levels of law enforcement agencies on high alert as federal authorities monitor threats and local officials bolster surveillance and security at mosques and synagogues.

In the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, FBI Director Christopher Wray said the agency’s “most immediate concern” was violent extremists, individuals or small groups, who may “draw inspiration from the events in the Middle East to carry out attacks against Americans going about their daily lives.”

Snelling said the Chicago Police Department has for some time been “paying special attention” to places of worship.

“We are aware of what’s going on in the world right now, and we know how that can affect neighborhoods, communities and people of faith,” he said.

(This story was updated to add new information.).