A man accused of shooting an Orthodox Jewish man in a targeted attack and later firing at police and paramedics died by suicide while in custody, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.
Sidi Mohamed Abdallahi, 22, was found unresponsive in his jail cell on November 30. Jail staff at Cermak Health Services were conducting a routine security check around 3:30 p.m. when they discovered him. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:39 p.m. An autopsy confirmed that he died by hanging.
Abdallahi had been facing serious charges, including attempted murder, aggravated discharge of a firearm at a peace officer or firefighter, and terrorism. Prosecutors said that before the attack, he had researched the locations of several synagogues and Jewish schools in Chicago.
The shooting happened on October 26, 2024, around 9:30 a.m. The 39-year-old victim was walking to a synagogue in the 2600 block of West Farwell Avenue when Abdallahi, who had been following him, opened fire. The victim was hit in the shoulder but survived.
When paramedics arrived to treat the victim and police searched for the shooter, Abdallahi reappeared from an alley and fired shots at them, hitting a Chicago Fire Department ambulance. He continued shooting at officers from different locations, and police returned fire. He was eventually shot multiple times, taken into custody, and transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was listed in critical condition.
Abdallahi, originally from Mauritania in northwest Africa, had been living in the U.S. for at least two years and worked at an Amazon warehouse, according to his public defender, Josh Thigpen. During a detention hearing on November 22, he remained in custody without bail.
The attack raised concerns about safety and hate crimes in the community. Authorities emphasized that they were investigating the motive behind the shooting, and local Jewish organizations expressed deep concern over the incident.
Abdallahi’s death in custody brings attention to issues surrounding mental health and jail conditions. The Cook County Sheriff’s Office has not released further details about his time in custody before his death.
