Chicago cops add terrorism and hate crimes charges to counts facing man who shot Jew

The Chicago Police Department announces that it will add felony terrorism and hate crimes charges to the counts that a man is facing for shooting an Orthodox Jew walking to synagogue in the Midwest city last Shabbat, following criticism from local Jews over the omission of the latter charges.

“We will never tolerate violence that’s rooted in hate and bigotry,” says police chief Larry Snelling during a press conference.

Pushing back on criticism over the force’s handling of the case, Snelling says police wanted to ensure there was sufficient evidence to back up the hate crimes charges against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, which he says “takes time.”

According to Snelling, officers found evidence on Abdallahi’s phone that he “planned the shooting and specifically targeted people of Jewish faith. This evidence allowed us to secure the terrorism and hate crime charges.”