Prosecutors revealed Friday that last month's shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man in Chicago was allegedly part of a larger planned terror attack targeting multiple synagogues and Jewish schools.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, appeared in court for the first time since the October 26 incident, where prosecutors laid out disturbing evidence that the shooting was "not random, but a calculated assassination attempt."
Assistant State's Attorney Anne McCord Rodgers told the court that Abdallahi, who worked at an Amazon warehouse after entering the U.S. illegally from Mauritania, had methodically mapped Jewish institutions throughout Chicago's West Rogers Park neighborhood.
Investigators found locations of several synagogues saved on his phone, including Ezras Yisroel, just a block from where the shooting occurred.
The attack took place the day after Simchat Torah, when Abdallahi allegedly shot a 39-year-old Orthodox Jewish man walking to Shabbat morning prayers. The victim, who was wearing traditional religious garments, was shot from behind but initially only realized he'd been hit after noticing a hole in his jacket.
Surveillance footage shows Abdallahi returning to the scene after the initial shooting and opening fire on first responders, striking an ambulance twice before being wounded in a shootout with police.
"His phone contained over 100 antisemitic and pro-Hamas images and videos," McCord Rodgers said. "This was unquestionably a targeted attack against the Jewish community."
Judge Susana Ortiz ordered Abdallahi held without bail on multiple charges including attempted murder, hate crimes, and terrorism.
Local Jewish leaders have criticized city officials for initially hesitating to classify the incident as a hate crime, despite eyewitness reports of the suspect shouting "Allahu Akbar" during the attack.
Yeshiva World News contributed to this article.
