Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, a 22-year-old Muslim man accused of shooting a 39-year-old Jewish man en route to a shul in Chicago last weekend, is an undocumented immigrant from Mauritania who was detained and later released in San Diego, California, in March 2023.

Abdallahi now faces 14 felony charges, including six counts of attempted murder, seven counts of aggravated firearm discharge, and one count of aggravated battery. The lack of hate crime charges against him has led to criticism from Jewish community leaders and some local officials.

According to law enforcement, Abdallahi hails from Mauritania, a country in West Africa, as reported by Fox News’ Bill Melugin. Border Patrol initially detained him in the San Diego sector in 2023, but he was subsequently released, after which he traveled to Chicago. Sanctuary city policies in Cook County, Illinois, where the incident occurred, prevent local officials from coordinating with ICE regarding detainer requests.

The Chicago Police Department labeled Abdallahi an “armed offender” and stated that he “approached the victim from behind and fired shots at the victim, striking the victim in the shoulder” as the man was walking in West Rogers Park. The victim has since recovered and returned home.

When questioned earlier in the week about Abdallahi’s citizenship status, Superintendent Larry Snelling responded that it was still under investigation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) told Fox News that the agency “has had no interaction with this person at this time.”

Mayor Brandon Johnson described the shooting as a “tragic event [that] should have never happened.”

“The Mayor’s Office is in close communication with the Chicago Police Department as the investigation continues. All Chicagoans deserve to feel safe and protected across the city. There is more work to be done, and we are committed to diligently improving community safety in every neighborhood,” he stated.

Thousands of undocumented Mauritanians have established residence in Ohio and other parts of the Midwest. In Lockland, near Cincinnati, approximately 3,000 Mauritanian immigrants have arrived, according to the local mayor. This influx has strained the small town, which has a population of just 3,420, stretching fire and paramedic resources and burdening infrastructure that cannot support a near-doubling of its population.

In early 2024, Illinois and Cook County allocated $252 million to aid undocumented immigrants in Chicago. In recent years, tens of thousands of immigrants have been transported to the city and its nearby suburbs, and the new funding adds to an existing budget for health care, housing, and other services aimed at supporting this population.

{Matzav.com}