**Chicago Jewish Leaders Demand Hate Crime Charges in Synagogue Shooting Incident**

Community figures in Chicago’s Jewish population are urgently calling for hate crime charges against Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, a 22-year-old local man accused of shooting a Jewish individual and then opening fire on police and emergency responders. The incident occurred on Saturday morning in the city's West Rogers Park neighborhood, when Abdallahi allegedly approached a 39-year-old man wearing a kippah and shot him in the shoulder. Fortunately, the victim sustained non-life-threatening injuries and has since been discharged from a local hospital.

Upon arriving at the scene, police and paramedics came under fire from Abdallahi, with bullets striking an ambulance. Officers returned fire, injuring Abdallahi, who was subsequently hospitalized. Police have since charged him with multiple offenses, including six counts of attempted first-degree murder and seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm toward law enforcement and emergency responders. As of now, it remains unclear whether Abdallahi has legal representation.

Chicago Police Superintendent Larry Snelling stressed the ongoing nature of the investigation, requesting the community’s patience. “We understand the concern around this incident, and we are doing everything we can to ensure that the community is safe," Snelling said.

The Cook County State's Attorney's Office announced that the case was in court on Tuesday, though Abdallahi did not appear due to his hospitalization. The hearing was rescheduled for November 7, with the court ordering Abdallahi to remain in custody.

Local alderwoman Debra Silverstein, a member of the same synagogue as the victim, expressed her alarm at the absence of hate crime charges. “This incident has shaken my community to its core,” she said during a news conference.

Rabbi Shlomo Soroka and Rabbi Levi Mostofsky echoed these concerns, emphasizing the terror felt by their community. “When a visibly Jewish individual in an otherwise placid neighborhood is shot unprovoked on his way to synagogue, we are terrorized,” said Mostofsky.

In light of the escalating incidents of antisemitic acts in the U.S. since the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants, local and federal law enforcement agencies have heightened their vigilance. FBI Director Christopher Wray previously noted that the agency's immediate concern includes potential violent extremists inspired by Middle Eastern events.

Superintendent Snelling highlighted that the Chicago Police Department has long been vigilant regarding the safety of 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 concluded.